Football365

Real Madrid are ready to take advantage of Cristian Romero’s desire to leave Tottenham Hotspur with a ‘stratospheric offer’, according to reports.

Romero has been one of Tottenham’s standout players since joining the club from Atalanta in August 2021, but he is reportedly disappointed by the lack of progress in the Premier League.

Thomas Frank replaced Europa League-winning boss Ange Postecoglou in the summer after a 17th-place finish last season, but Spurs currently sit 14th after 21 games this campaign and were knocked out of the FA Cup by Aston Villa on Saturday.

Will Cristian Romero leave Spurs?

Romero to push for exit if Spurs don’t improve or show more ambition

World Cup winner pleased with Frank and his coaching staff, but not the ownership

Real Madrid willing to pay £70m, according to reports

On paper, Spurs’ squad should have them competing for a Champions League place. But on the pitch, they look incoherent, unadventurous, and like a bottom-half team.

Supporters are fed up with head coach Frank after half a season in the job, and some players also appear frustrated, with Romero one of several linked with a summer exit.

Romero spoke out against the club’s ownership after Wednesday’s 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth, who had been winless in 11 beforehand.

In a clear attack on the hierarchy, Romero wrote on Instagram: “At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don’t – as has been happening for several years now.

“They only show up when things are going well, to tell a few lies.”

Spurs are a complete and utter shambles right now, and Frank will surely lose his job as a result.

Real Madrid ‘prepare stratospheric offer’ for Spurs star

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Real Madrid are keen on signing the Spurs captain, who has ‘asked to leave due to problems with the management’.

The club’s ‘lack of ambition’ has prompted Romero to ‘demand massive investment in world-class reinforcements in the next transfer window’.

If that demand is not met and Spurs fail to show the ambition to ‘win the Premier League’, Romero will ‘formally submit a transfer request before June’, believing he deserves a move to a European giant.

Despite the relentless pressure on Frank, the Argentine international reportedly believes the coaching staff is doing an ‘impeccable job’, but needs backing with new signings.

With this in mind, Real Madrid are ‘monitoring’ Romero’s ‘every move’.

Indeed, the La Liga giants are ‘preparing a stratospheric offer’ and would be willing to pay up to €80million (£69.4m).

Xabi Alonso has ‘approved’ the transfer, believing Romero is ‘the prototype of the modern centre-back his system needs’.

Real Madrid’s centre-back pursuit

Madrid are in the market for a centre-back, with Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba expected to leave when their contracts expire at the end of the season.

They have been linked with several soon-to-be free agents, but a big-money signing is not ruled out.

Alonso’s side have also been strongly linked with Romero’s centre-back partner Micky van de Ven and were previously very keen on Arsenal’s William Saliba before he signed a new contract.

Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano and Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi have both entered the final six months of their respective deals, and Los Blancos are very keen on both.

Guehi is expected to leave Palace in 2026, whether on a free in the summer or for around £40m in January. Meanwhile, Upamecano is expected to sign a new contract at Bayern.

There was a point when the idea that Thomas Frank was “getting sacked in the morning” felt like an understatement. When Morgan Rogers doubled Aston Villa’s lead in north London it seemed like the history of Martin Jol’s alleged half-time axing in 2007 was about to be repeated.

“It was a strange night because it was my final game in charge but it was also a special night,” Jol said then, despite his side falling to a 2-1 home defeat to Getafe. “I had a great connection with the Tottenham fans and that will always be there.

“The fans were unbelievable the way they were chanting my name throughout the game, and I am a little embarrassed because they knew before me that I was gone,” he added.

While this FA Cup third-round tie produced the same scoreline and result, the outlook for the latest beleaguered Spurs manager could not have been more different.

This was no “special night” for Frank or the supporters, who have never shared a particularly “great connection”.

And the “embarrassment” will be in how the only chanting of Frank’s name was when the home fans joined in to taunt him about his impending unemployment.

There was a distinct second-half improvement but it would have been difficult to lower the bar set during the first, when a passive and languid Spurs were played through at will.

Villa scored from two moves constructed of sheer speed and beauty. One cut through the heart of Spurs, while the other was a sharp and remorseless stab in the side.

Ezri Konsa, Youri Tielemans and Donyell Malen carved them open with passes simple yet glorious in execution, before Emiliano Buendia’s emphatic finish into the roof of Guglielmo Vicario’s net.

Spurs were dominated from them until the second, when Buendia, Malen and Morgan Rogers combined for the England international to find and exploit an inexplicable amount of space in an area occupied by nine home players.

That was when Frank’s position felt untenable – and it was worth questioning whether a revival of sorts, ultimately still in defeat, in the subsequent 45 minutes really makes this any more worth persisting with?

Wilson Odobert scored after fine work from Randal Kolo Muani. Xavi Simons, the leader of the impotent charge, had a goal disallowed for offside. A few Spurs attacks were snared by that high line as they ventured further forward and the visitors sat back.

But Spurs still lost. Frank still failed to conjure anything positive from those first 45 minutes, and not nearly enough in the second. Villa made more changes to their starting line-up and still beat them away, which is admittedly not the feat it sounds at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

There was a fight, an energy, a floor of both individual and team performance that absolutely was not present in the first half and frankly has not been for much of the season. Does that make those steps forward after the break better or worse? Does Frank believe that rally represents the building of fences or windmills?

Villa still held on in that “storm” of his, having the last six shots of a game they led from the 22nd minute onwards, with one of them cleared off the line.

Spurs did not muster a single effort after Frank’s three unenforced substitutions. Their time in the ascendancy, which will keep the Dane in his post for at least another week, lasted five minutes in which they had more than half the shots they managed all game (seven of 13) and scored.

It is a burst which will at least force an answer to a seemingly impossible question posed in the most miserable way imaginable next Saturday: can Dr. Tottenham really cure West Ham?

Former Tottenham scout Bryan King has tipped Spurs to get rid of a star after a lengthy injury, as a “very big asset” is soon to come into contention for them.

Tottenham have been affected by some long-term injuries this season. James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are yet to feature this season, while centre-back Radu Dragusin returned from a lengthy layoff with a five-minute outing against Crystal Palace in late December.

He had sat on the bench the game prior, and has remained there for the last three matches. In those three games, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero have started, with the pair having been the preferred partnership for the last couple of years.

It seems Dragusin is not close to breaking that partnership, and former Spurs scout King suggests there is further danger to his role in the Tottenham squad, in the form of Luka Vuskovic.

He told Tottenham News: “He’d [Vuskovic] sooner be playing for Tottenham than Hamburg, believe me.

“If he’s a fan favourite there, he won’t want to disappoint them.

“He’ll be getting positive vibes from the staff at Spurs because he’s doing a fine job in Germany. He’s got to be looked at as a potential first-team player for Tottenham.

“You’d want him back at your club if he’s progressing how he’s expected to progress. He will be a very big asset to bring back and use next season.

“The one thing they’ve got to be looking at is letting go of Dragusin. They’ll be bringing Vuskovic back out, and then they can sell Dragusin.”

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Indeed, Dragusin has never truly looked like threatening the Van de Ven-Romero partnership, while 18-year-old Vuskovic is starting for a Bundesliga side and the suggestions are that Tottenham are very happy with his progress.

The defender has suggested he’d be happy to stay in Germany for another year, but if he’s ready, it seems likely that he’ll be brought back to north London.

Dragusin, having only played five minutes this season, is clearly not a high priority player at Tottenham, and if they see a better player in Vuskovic, they could receive a decent fee from the Romanian defender and move onto the next generation.

According to reports, Tottenham Hotspur have made a ‘decision’ on whether to sack head coach Thomas Frank with ‘pressure building’.

Frank appears to be on the brink at Spurs, who have only won three of their last 13 matches as they have slipped deep into the bottom half of the Premier League.

The former Brentford boss was brought in to steady the ship following Ange Postecoglou’s chaotic reign and he has made Tottenham more defensively resolute, but their performances have been uninspiring as he is yet to get supporters on board.

The pressure has mounted on Frank after Wednesday’s 3-2 loss against AFC Bournemouth, who had been without a win in ten matches. This leaves Frank as one of the favourites to be the next Premier League manager sacked.

Despite this, Football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke claims Spurs have ‘made a Frank sack decision’, with club chiefs keen to “give him time”.

“It was a real hard defeat, losing so late on in that game (against Bournemouth). They did play quite well, but ended up on the wrong end (of the result) and that now leaves them 14th in the table,” O’Rourke told Football Insider.

READ: Big Weekend: Man United v Brighton, Thomas Frank, Chelsea, Gabriel Jesus, Saudi Clasico

“Pressure is building on Thomas Frank, there’s no getting away from that. You’ve got unrest from the fans as well, they were chanting ‘boring, boring Tottenham’ in that goalless draw against Brentford last week.

“The players were booed off against Sunderland, then after the final whistle at Bournemouth you had players exchanging words with the travelling fans as well.

“Look, all is not well there at Tottenham, there’s no getting away from that, but I don’t think Spurs are looking openly to make a decision on the manager.

“They want to give him time, they want to see if he can turn things around.”

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* Tottenham duo ‘want to leave’ as Liverpool ‘major target’ moving to Anfield hinges on two conditions

Despite this, O’Rourke has also argued that the head coach’s ‘job hinges’ on Tottenham’s next two games against Aston Villa and West Ham.

“He’s got a big game against Aston Villa in the FA Cup this weekend as well and then a huge home game against relegation threatened West Ham on the 17th of January,” O’Rourke added.

“If those two games were to go wrong, and let’s not get away from it, their home form has been absolutely terrible so far this season, it’s going to crank up that pressure on Thomas Frank being sacked.

“He needs to get things back on track and get the fans onside. It’s easier said than done, and results will dictate (his future).

“Spurs aren’t rushing into anything, there’s no knee-jerk reactions. They know he has such a big job on his hands to get Spurs back where they feel they should be and everything else, but the style of football has been criticised as well.

“So yeah it’s been a difficult start to Thomas Frank’s tenure and, as I said, if results don’t improve quickly then the club might have to decision to make.“

According to reports, Tottenham Hotspur standout Micky van de Ven ‘desperately wants to leave’ the north London side and he is still on Liverpool’s radar.

Spurs have been a shambles in the Premier League over the past 18 months as they have spent most of this period in the bottom half of the table.

Still, there have been a few standouts in their side who can hold their head high, and this includes Netherlands international Van de Ven.

The 24-year-old has had his injury issues in recent years, but he is one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League on his day.

Therefore, it’s hardly surprising that the talented centre-back is being linked with a move elsewhere, as he is arguably being held back at Spurs.

READ: Big Weekend: Man United v Brighton, Thomas Frank, Chelsea, Gabriel Jesus, Saudi Clasico

A new report from Spanish outlet Sport claims Van de Ven ‘desperately wants to leave’ Spurs and he is a ‘dark horse’ target for Barcelona, though they are perhaps more likely to make a move for a cheaper alternative.

This means Van de Ven could look elsewhere and a report from a transfer insider on X claims Liverpool have made him a ‘major target’.

Liverpool wanted to sign Van de Ven before he joined Spurs and he reportedly remains on their radar, but this potential move is dependent on two conditions.

The report claims:

‘Van de Ven is only interested in staying within the Premier League, with one exception: Real Madrid.

‘Regardless of where he might be looking, with a contract running through June 2029, it will take deep pockets to separate him from Tottenham.’

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* Thomas Frank responds to Cristian Romero after social media post attacking Spurs board

Spurs are also said to be facing the prospect of losing Cristian Romero, with Spanish website Fichajes claiming he has made ‘demands’ if he is to remain at the club beyond this season.

The report explains: ‘The Argentine centre-back has been adamant: he will demand a transfer in the next summer window if Thomas Frank’s continued presence at the club is not guaranteed.

‘Furthermore, the defender is demanding a significant financial investment to strengthen the squad and seriously challenge for the Premier League title.’

Earlier this week, Romero appeared to hit out at Tottenham’s hierarchy in a deleted social media post.

“At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don’t – as has been happening for several years now,” Romero said.

“They only show up when things are going well, to tell a few lies.”

According to Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham Hotspur are ‘closing in on a deal’ to sign a new defender, though there is one ‘final detail missing’.

Spurs have been a shambles in recent months as they are on a dire run of only three wins in their last 13 matches.

This has seen head coach Thomas Frank come under immense pressure, with the former Brentford boss among the favourites to be the next Premier League manager sacked.

Frank has come under increased scrutiny following Wednesday’s 3-2 loss against out-of-form AFC Bournemouth, but Spurs seem keen to improve their squad in this winter transfer window.

The north London outfit are currently prioritising a move for a defender, with 18-year-old left-back Souza, who currently plays for Brazilian outfit Santos, identified as a key target.

READ: Who will be next Tottenham manager if Thomas Frank is sacked? Amorim, Maresca in the hunt

Souza has already made 38 senior appearances for Santos, as he’s established himself as a big prospect for the future.

And he is bound for the Premier League as Fabrizio Romano revealed on Friday morning that only one ‘final missing detail’ is in the way of Spurs signing him.

He said on X: ‘Tottenham are closing in on deal to sign 18 year old left back Souza from Santos.

‘After the agreement with Souza and his agent Bertolucci on personal terms, #THFC also agree structure of the deal with Santos for €15m.

‘Final missing detail: payment terms.’

Following Frank’s arrival, Spurs have also been heavily linked with several Brentford players.

This includes Igor Thiago and Nathan Collins, but Spurs are also said to be interested in signing Kevin Schade.

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* Thomas Frank responds to Cristian Romero after social media post attacking Spurs board

This is according to German journalist Florian Plettenberg, who claims Schade is ‘likely’ to leave Brentford this year in a deal worth upwards of 60 million euros (£52m).

Plettenberg explained on X: ‘Kevin #Schade is one to watch for the summer, as a move after the World Cup currently appears likely.

‘However, Brentford still want him to stay and are keen on extending his contract beyond 2028.

‘Many clubs are interested. Tottenham are among the teams closely monitoring him, as revealed. Price valuation: €50–60m.’

Frank is currently in a fight to keep his job, but he has explained why he thinks he has done enough to earn more time at the club.

He said: “No doubt about that. Put it this way, would we love to be higher in the table and have more points? 100 per cent.

“We work hard every single day to make sure we perform well. We want to land in the best possible position at the end of the season.

“We need to look at the FA Cup game, a good opportunity against Villa, a team who is flying in this moment in time. The tournament is very important for the fans, we won it eight times in our history. This is a tough spell, we will get through this.

“We definitely want to do more [from an attacking point of view]. We have scored enough goals.”

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has defended his captain Cristian Romero after the defender attacked the board in a since-edited social media post.

Following Spurs’ 3-2 defeat away at Bournemouth, Romero took to Instagram to point the finger at the club’s senior figures, suggesting they only speak “when things are going well, to tell a few lies”.

“At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don’t – as has been happening for several years now,” he said in a post that has since been edited.

“They only show up when things are going well, to tell a few lies.”

The nature of January football means that not even 24 hours after the defeat, Frank was back in front of the media to preview his side’s FA Cup match against Aston Villa on Saturday and was asked directly about Romero’s comments.

Unsurprisingly, Frank tried to downplay the drama between the club and the player.

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“I think after Cuti became the captain he’s done a lot of good things right,” Spurs boss Frank said.

“I said it when I named him the captain that even though he’s an experienced player, he’s tried a lot, he’s still a young leader. And I think a lot of the things he’s done well on and off the pitch I’m happy with.

“I’m actually very happy with his performance last night, I think he was a true captain in many ways throughout the game.

“Speaking at half-time when we were 2-1 down, keep believing, keep doing the right things. But also when you’re a young leader sometimes you make a mistake, of course it’s good to keep it internally.

“[Sporting director] Johan [Lange] and I had a good conversation with him this morning about everything, which we of course keep internally.”

Despite Frank’s apparent calmness, pressure is building on the former Brentford boss with Spurs stuck in 15th and having endured the fourth worst form of any team in the league.

With some suggestions another bad result would hand him the sack, Frank has insisted he is focused on the next match and that performances have been there even if the scorelines says otherwise.

“I think there’s a couple of things in it,” he said.

“I think the last five games we played, Liverpool, Crystal Palace, Brentford, Sunderland and Bournemouth, I think it’s been consistent, good competitive performance through the roof? No, but good competitive, consistent performances and that’s what you need in a long season.

“Those five games should have given us more than the five points we got, probably eight, nine, 10 points.

“And if you get that from those games, it’s different. So that’s what we’re focusing on. Can we produce performances like that last night? Overall, like the performance, it’s my job to deal with all the scrutiny. It’s no problem, I can face all the questions, I’ll take all the blame, I’ll take all that.

“Also, my job is to look through everything and look through the defeat last night. Of course, it was very emotional and tough to take for everyone, but I think it was in many ways good and we deserve more from that.

“So we just need to keep doing that, especially the last two games, it’s a minimum of four points we should have, if not more. So we just need to keep doing that. And the next thing is, it’s almost the perfect storm.

“In a storm, some are building fences and hiding behind it, others are building windmills and getting stronger and getting more energy and learning from it.”

According to reports, Tottenham Hotspur’s decision on whether to sack head coach Thomas Frank will be determined by one ‘pivotal’ factor.

Former Brentford boss Frank replaced Ange Postecoglou at Spurs in the summer and was tasked with steadying the ship after their shambolic performances in the Premier League last term.

Frank has turned Spurs into more of a defensive unit this term and they initially benefited from this change, but performances and results have massively declined in recent months.

The north London outfit have only won one of their previous 13 matches in all competitions as Frank has alienated himself with his uninspiring tactics and odd outbursts in press conferences.

Spurs suffered another defeat on Wednesday night as they were beaten 3-2 by AFC Bournemouth, who headed into the match on a run of ten games without a victory.

READ: Premier League sack race: Nuno and Frank in a grim race to the bottom

Speaking on Thursday afternoon, Frank explained why he thinks his side has deserved more points from their recent matches. He said: “I think the last five games we played, it has been consistent, good, competitive performances and that’s what you need in a long season.

“Those five games should have given us more than the five points we got. Probably eight, nine, 10 points. That’s what we are focusing on.

“It is my job to deal with scrutiny. I will take all the questions and the blame. It is also my job to look through everything and look through the defeat last night. It was emotional but in many ways it was good and we deserve more.

“We need to keep doing that. The last two games should have got us four points maybe more.”

Frank will hope that there is a response from this side when they face Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Saturday and beyond, with a report from journalsit Fraser Fletcher for our pals at TEAMtalk claiming the club is ‘growing increasingly alarmed and considering all options’.

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It is also explained that the head coach ‘faces a pivotal period to avoid the sack’: ‘Tottenham’s upcoming fixtures are seen as make-or-break for Frank. Next up is a home FA Cup third-round tie against in-form Aston Villa this weekend, followed by a crucial Premier League clash with West Ham United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on January 17.

‘Following those is a Champions League encounter with Borussia Dortmund on January 20 – three home games that sources describe as “pivotal” in determining the 52-year-old’s immediate future.’

Another report from TEAMtalk claims current Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi is Tottenham’s ‘top target’ to replace Frank, though he would ‘favour’ a move to Man Utd if they also made an ‘approach’.

A source for the outlet said: “He’s flattered by Tottenham’s interest, but United would likely be priority.”

Spurs defender Cristian Romero attacked the club’s higher-ups in a since-deleted social media post, suggesting they only speak to “tell a few lies.”

Tottenham’s miserable season continued as they lost in injury time away at Bournemouth, the club’s eighth defeat of the season and a result that leaves them 14th in the Premier League table.

After the game, players such as Micky van de Ven were seen arguing with members of the away support and his defensive partner Romero took to Instagram to attack the Spurs board and decision makers.

“At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don’t – as has been happening for several years now,” he said in a post that has since been edited.

“They only show up when things are going well, to tell a few lies.”

Romero’s later edited post removed the part about lies but still criticised more senior staff members for not speaking to the fans or the media.

“Apologies to all fans to you who follow us everywhere, who are always there and will continue to be,” it read.

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“We are responsible, there’s no doubt about that. I am the first. But we will keep facing up to it and trying to turn the situation around, for ourselves and for the club.

“At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don’t – as has been happening for several years now. They only show up when things are going well.

“We’ll stay here, working, sticking together and giving our all to turn things around. Especially at times like this, keeping quiet, working harder and moving forward all together is part of football.

“All together, it will be easier.”

Joao Palhinha, who was another player seen arguing with the fans, tried to play down the incident when speaking to Sky Sports in the immediate aftermath.

“It was just the supporters were sharing their frustrations,” he said. “We, of course, understand, we respect them first of all.

“I just said we are fighting for all the same.

“We want to win, not just the players, the staff and the supporters. We are trying to get the wins that, in my opinion, we deserve in the last games.”

According to reports, a Tottenham Hotspur chief has ‘demanded’ head coach Thomas Frank to be sacked after the 3-2 loss against AFC Bournemouth.

Spurs are on a dire run of form under Frank, with the Premier League side only winning three of their previous 13 matches in all competitions.

The north London outfit are currently three games without a win in the Premier League and suffered a late 3-2 loss against Bournemouth on Tuesday. The Cherries were on a ten-match winless run heading into the game.

This leaves Frank as one of two leading contenders to be the next Premier League manager sacked, with Tottenham performing no better currently than they were under Ange Postecoglou. They are 14th in the table after 21 matches.

Performances have been poor, but another of Frank‘s issues is that his approach to football has not clicked with supporters, who have demanded more excitement.

READ: Who will be next Tottenham manager if Thomas Frank is sacked? Amorim, Maresca in the hunt

Now, an insider on X who is renowned for claiming there are ’emergency meetings’ at underperforming clubs after they suffer another setback, with this the case shortly following Tottenham’s loss to Bournemouth.

They said on X: ‘BOMBSHELL EXCLUSIVE AT TOTTENHAM!

‘INSIDERS AT SPURS HQ REVEAL: ANOTHER EMERGENCY CRISIS MEETING CALLED FOR TOMORROW OVER THOMAS FRANK FUTURE!

‘ONE TOP OFFICIAL IS FURIOUSLY DEMANDING HE BE SACKED IMMEDIATELY.’

Especially as this has been dramatised in all capitals, we all need to take this report with a handful of salt, but it is clear that results and performances need to improve if Frank is going to remain at Spurs beyond this season.

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Frank has also faced criticism after being pictured drinking from an Arsenal cup before the Bournemouth match, but he has insisted that he “did not notice it”.

After the match, Frank said: “I definitely did not notice it. It would be completely stupid of me to take it if I knew.

“It’s a little bit sad that I need to be asked about it. I would never do something that stupid.”

The same insider mentioned earlier has also commented on this situation, claming a ‘full investigation’ is expected.

They said on X: Exclusive: A full investigation will take place into Thomas Frank drinking from an Arsenal-branded cup at last night’s Bournemouth v @SpursOfficial match.

‘CCTV footage 🎥 may be requested. We understand the @Arsenal branded cup was left over from the weekend when Arsenal visited Bournemouth.

‘The key questions: Was Thomas Frank purposely set up by someone? Did Thomas Frank know and do it on purpose?’