Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni was overwhelmed by Cristian Romero’s performance as he helped the world champions to a 1-0 win over Ecuador.
Romero has started the season very impressively for Tottenham and looks more like the player he was when he joined the club in 2021 rather than the error-prone defender we saw for most of last season.
The central defender, now named the club’s new vice-captain by Ange Postecoglou, has established himself as the leader of Spurs’ young defensive line.
As well as putting in an extremely solid defensive performance, he has also scored two goals in his first four Premier League matches, including a thunderous strike into the top corner in Tottenham’s 5-2 win over Burnley last Saturday.
Argentina head coach blown away by Cristian Romero
It now appears that Romero has transferred his club form to the international stage and Scaloni was left speechless by the 25-year-old’s performance in the World Cup qualifier against Ecuador.
The Albiceleste boss told D-Sports: “I have no words for Cuti Romero’s play. At home games people motivate him and he thinks he’s a He-Man, he can run 70 yards. He’s an impressive central defender, he played an incredible game.
We know that Romero gives 110% every time he steps on the pitch, which is why there are still fears that he could pick up an injury during the international break.
With Argentina facing a tough away game in Bolivia on Tuesday in what is likely to be a very stressful encounter, Spurs fans and Postecoglou will be waiting with bated breath to see if the 25-year-old returns unscathed.
Tottenham offered the chance to sign Tosin Adarabioyo from Fulham
According to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur had the opportunity to complete the transfer of Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo during the January transfer window.
According to the report, Spurs were interested in signing Adarabioyo this summer and were battling with AS Monaco for a deal for the 1.80m centre-back.
The Ligue 1 side have seen a bid worth £9m (€10m) rejected by Fulham after their first bid of around £6m (€7m) euros) plus add-ons was also rejected by the London-based team. .
Tottenham also showed keen interest in signing the 25-year-old in the final days of the season as Ange Postecoglou sought to sign another defender to replace Davinson Sanchez – who moved to Galatasaray.
Adarabioyo was left out of the Fulham squad and forced to train away from the first team as it became increasingly likely he would leave Craven Cottage before the window closed.
However, this move did not materialize and Adarabioyo ended up staying at Fulham. But Football Insider say he has cut ties at the Cottagers and is unlikely to find his way into Marco Silva’s plans.
The Englishman’s current contract is just one year away and the report says the door is now open for Tottenham to strike a deal at a cheaper price in January as Fulham look to cash in.
Adarabioyo is yet to start a game this season and has only appeared as a substitute in the Premier League once, having been left out of the squad entirely in the first two games.
Last season, he played 29 matches in all competitions and scored one goal. Since joining Craven Cottage, Adarabioyo has appeared in 107 games and scored five goals in all competitions.
Tottenham have sold defender Davinson Sanchez to Galatasaray, ending his six-year spell at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The 27-year-old’s departure leaves a void in the Postecoglou squad and a new signing is expected in January, despite the arrival of centre-backs Micky van de Ven and Ashley Phillips in the summer.
Sanchez hadn’t played a Premier League game under Postecoglou this season as he was considered overwhelmed by the former Celtic manager.
Eric Dier is also set to leave Spurs sometime next year so a new centre-back is needed and Football Insider suggest Tottenham could sign Adarabioyo in January.