Tottenham transfer news: Cristian Romero 'waiting' for one club after Arsenal revelation

Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero is allegedly waiting on Barcelona to make their move as speculation surrounding his next transfer grows.

The Argentina international would ordinarily be due to return from his World Cup holiday this week, but it would be a surprise to see him pull on the Tottenham shirt again.

Romero is heavily expected to head for the Tottenham exit door before the transfer window slams shut, and a shock move to North London rivals Arsenal was previously mooted.

The 28-year-old would apparently be open to doing a Sol Campbell and joining the Gunners, but Tottenham will flat-out refuse to negotiate with their bitter adversaries over a deal for their captain.

However, neither Atletico Madrid nor Inter Milan have reached a critical breakthrough in their efforts to sign Romero, although Diego Simeone's side are still considered the frontrunners.

Cristian Romero 'waiting' for Barcelona to make transfer move

Nevertheless, Mundo Deportivo reports that Romero is 'still waiting' to see whether Barcelona will make a late play for his services as they prepare to bid farewell to Ronald Araujo.

Liverpool have agreed to sign Araujo on loan for the 2026-27 season, and the Reds will also have the option to sign the Uruguay international on a permanent basis for approximately £47m at the end of the campaign.

Sporting director Deco is said to be a fan of Romero's qualities and versatility - believing that he could operate effectively on either side of the backline - and the former Portugal international has been holding talks with the Tottenham defender's agent Ciro Palermo.

Progress has been held up due to Barcelona's other transfer priorities, though, as Barcelona have just submitted a second bid for Rodri and are also targeting a centre-forward to replace Robert Lewandowski.

However, Tottenham would entertain offers of around €40m (£34.3m) for Romero, while Atletico are yet to surpass the €30m (£25.7m) mark.

Why Cristian Romero may not secure dream Barcelona transfer

Even though Deco has an admiration for the Argentine and believes that he would adapt seamlessly to life at Camp Nou, Barcelona are well-stocked in defence.

Araujo's departure will not have a major impact on Hansi Flick's starting team, given that the Uruguayan only made the first XI on 11 occasions in the 2025-26 La Liga season, and just four times in the Champions League.

Instead, Pau Cubarsi and Gerard Martin are expected to form Flick's first-choice pairing in 2026-27, while Andreas Christensen and academy graduate Alvaro Cortes are also waiting in reserve.

Furthermore, Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde could fill in centrally if required, and Barcelona have also not ruled out using Rodri as an emergency centre-back next season.

Therefore, depending on how much money Barcelona spend reinforcing their midfield and attack, Romero's Camp Nou dream may not become a reality.