According to reports, if Ronald Araujo leaves—with many clubs expected to pursue him this summer—Barcelona will enter the market for a center-back. One potential option is Cristian Romero. The Argentine defender, currently playing for Tottenham, was previously endorsed and recommended by Lionel Messi to join Barcelona. Before Messi joined Paris Saint-Germain, Romero himself said, “It’s a huge honor that Messi chose me as a teammate and wanted me to join Barcelona.”

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid is fully focused on planning for the next season. After being eliminated from the UEFA Champions League and Copa del Rey, La Liga remains their last hope to avoid ending the season without a trophy—a significant failure considering their heavy investment in last summer’s transfers.

Despite being seven points behind Barcelona, there is still hope with seven weeks left in the season. Diego Simeone has clearly stated that the defense needs a major overhaul, and signing a high-profile center-back who can play on both the right and left sides of the defense—and coordinate with Gimenez and Le Normand—is a priority. In this regard, Cristian Romero’s name has also been mentioned for them.

As always, the biggest obstacle to this transfer is financial. Tottenham is reluctant to lose one of its key players, and according to Sky Sports, they have demanded around €80 million to start negotiations. However, neither Atletico nor Barcelona can afford such an amount and are looking to proceed with a deal worth around €50 million.