Cristian Romero: How Tottenham star fared in Argentina World Cup win amid exit whispers
Cristian Romero started his third game since Tottenham's season ended as Argentina beat Algeria 3-0 via a stunning Lionel Messi hat-trick in their World Cup opener on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old missed the final six games of the Premier League season with a knee injury, and it had been suggested that he may miss the World Cup too.
The defender returned for this month's friendlies, however, and has managed to build up his fitness enough to start on Wednesday.
Romero is under contract at Tottenham until 2029, but has been tipped to leave North London this summer.
The Lilywhites have signed Marcos Senesi and are close to completing a £52million deal for Jean Paul van Hecke, with at least one exit guaranteed.
Teenage sensation Luka Vuskovic is reportedly pushing to leave the club after spending last season on loan at Hamburg.
Cristian Romero impresses in Argentina win
For some time, there has been doubts surrounding Romero's future at Tottenham.
The captain has spoken out against the club's ownership on occasion, and, along with the rest of his teammates, suffered an extremely poor season.
A line appeared to have been crossed when it was revealed that the 28-year-old would be watching a game in Argentina, rather than Tottenham's relegation decider against Everton on the final day.
The backlash to that decision undoubtedly got back to Romero, who was seen celebrating at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when safety was confirmed.
That has done little to convince anyone that he will remain in North London this summer, as an exit grows likelier by the day.
Romero played 80 minutes of Argentina's win on Wednesday, misplacing just one pass throughout the match and registering several defensive contributions.
The defender made two tackles, a block, two clearances, two recoveries, was fouled once and won four of the duels he contested.
Where will Romero end up this summer?
Tottenham spent £42.5m to sign Romero from Atalanta in 2022, and will want to make a profit on that fee.
The 28-year-old, despite his flaws, has genuine quality and could even end up a two-time World Cup winner this summer.
Tottenham's transfer business has told everyone that they are open to selling Romero, however, and it is no secret that the player is not happy.
Atletico Madrid have been linked on several occasions and would be a key contender, with the Lilywhites unlikely to want to sell to a rival.
Whether Tottenham can extract a suitable fee remains to be seen, but Roberto De Zerbi may well decide that Romero's presence is not worth keeping in the dressing room.