Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero is reportedly open to joining North London rivals Arsenal this summer, according to a report from transfer journalist Ekrem Konur.
Arsenal have entered the market for defensive reinforcements following injury to William Saliba, who suffered a long-term back injury while representing France at the 2026 World Cup.
Saliba’s absence leaves Mikel Arteta short of options in central defence as Arsenal look to defend their Premier League title.
Cristian Romero is ‘open to’ Arsenal move
Romero has seemingly made clear to Tottenham management that he intends to leave the club before the transfer window closes.
A potential move to the Emirates Stadium would allow the 28-year-old Argentine international to remain based in London while competing in the UEFA Champions League with the reigning domestic champions.
However, Tottenham executives would be understandably reluctant to sell one of the core members of their squad to their local rivals, even if an exit has been in the offing for some time.
Spurs’ hierarchy would prefer a transfer to an overseas club, with interest previously registered from LaLiga club Atletico Madrid.
Any formal approach from Arsenal would likely face significant opposition from both groups of supporters.
From Spurs’ perspective, agreeing a deal with Arsenal would draw criticism from supporters, largely due to the principle of strengthening a direct rival and past cross-North London transfers.
Sections of the Arsenal fanbase remain skeptical about Romero as a player of interest, too. His poor disciplinary record in the Premier League, in addition to his conduct with the Argentine national team during their recent World Cup campaign only served to further alienate many English supporters.
In FourFourTwo‘s opinion, Romero joining Arsenal would ruffle more than a few feathers, to say the least.
It could even be a transfer that rivals Sol Campbell’s switch in 2001 and the associated bad blood that came as a result of that particular move.