Cristian Romero handed ultimatum, Tottenham star simply has to listen

Cristian Romero has to listen to the thought of reason as rumours continue to swirl around his future at Tottenham Hotspur.

Roberto De Zerbi could have used a player of his calibre as Tottenham battled against relegation in 2025-26, but he hadn't appeared since picking up an injury in April.

Both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are heavily linked with a move for the central defender, and very few would blame him for jumping at the chance to play for either.

At his very best, Romero is absolutely undroppable, and next to Micky van de Ven, on paper, it should be one of the most rock-solid defences in the Premier League.

It simply isn't that easy, though, is it?

The silence and uncertainty around his future is beginning to impact the Lilywhites behind the scenes, and hitting out at the hierarchy on social media has done little to lessen the controversy.

Cristian Romero must listen to former Tottenham star's wise words

One player who knows exactly what it's like to give absolutely everything for the Lilywhites is former Toby Alderweireld, and he has offered the Argentine some much-needed wisdom.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, the Belgian said: "It's not positive when your captain is rumoured to go away. That needs to be cleared very quickly.

"If he goes, he goes. If he stays, we need to get back to the mindset to become very solid. I don't want to kill him. He's an unbelievable player.

"Your captain needs to be the face of the club, the team, and when he's doubting staying, if that's true, you need to go. We'd need someone else."

It would appear that Spurs are already targeting his replacement, with De Zerbi wanting to reunite with Jan Paul van Hecke of Brighton, but it could be a very costly deal for the North London outfit.

Spurs fans already make their feelings clear over Jan Paul van Hecke deal

Although Van Hecke is clearly a very talented player, with one year left on his contract with the Seagulls, £70million would be an awful price for Spurs to be paying.

Of course, De Zerbi needs a huge name to come in and replace Romero, a figure who, when not being sent off, is a colossus in the centre of defence.

Many are hoping for Luke Vuskovic to be given a chance to shine, having done so with Hamburg on loan in 2025-26, but it seems much more likely that he finds a new club this summer, sadly.

As Alderweireld says, the sooner this entire situation is sorted, the better for all parties, but there doesn't currently appear to be an end in sight.