Paul Scholes has urged Manchester United to hijack Cristian Romero's expected move to Atletico Madrid, describing the Tottenham defender as an 'absolute clown' who could become a cult hero at Old Trafford.
Romero, who was appointed captain last year after signing a four-year deal, is set to leave Spurs this summer, with Atletico Madrid in negotiations. According to Fabrizio Romano, the deal is edging closer, though clubs are still a few million apart on the guaranteed fee and have yet to finalise the bonus structure. Atletico remain determined and are preparing a new offer.
Inter Milan, Barcelona and Arsenal have also shown interest, but a sale to Spurs' north London rivals appears highly unlikely. Despite Romero favouring Atleti, Scholes believes United should attempt a late hijack, arguing that adding a top-level centre-back alongside Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire would be crucial as they prepare for a demanding season across all competitions.
Scholes: 'He's an absolute clown'
"This is one you might laugh at," Scholes said on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast. "[United should sign] Cristian Romero from Tottenham. I know it might sound stupid, but I just think... I like him. I think he's a nutcase."
"He's a very good defender that does some stupid things. He is an absolute clown. But I think if someone could get hold of him, like Michael Carrick, who is very calm and relaxed, he might be able to [help him]. He seems like a bit of a cult hero defender, really. I know it might sound strange, but I think the fans at Old Trafford would like him."
Scholes added: "There's a bit of something about him. He's won the Europa League with Spurs, he's won a World Cup, two Copa Americas. There's definitely something about him....and he's cheap, £30-40million."
Centre-half a priority
"I think centre-half is probably the biggest [area that needs addressing]. You need to have centre-halves that are reliable for the Premier League. You'd like to have them [fit enough to play] in most games."
"Harry Maguire not so much, but Martinez picks up a lot of injuries. They've got the young lad Ayden Heaven, who I think is a really bright prospect, but he's still going to make mistakes. He's young. Centre-half is a position they need to address if they are going to be challenging towards the top end [of the league]."
Romero previously came close to leaving Spurs, most notably after Ange Postecoglou's departure. Roberto De Zerbi has since made it clear that he would respect Romero's wish to move on from north London.
De Zerbi's respect for Romero
"At the beginning of my time, in April, I had, I don't know, one million individual meetings!" he said. "And [the players] told me what was their idea. I said: 'Yes, help me to stay up, and then I help you to leave'. If you don't help me to stay up, you stay underwater with me!"
"But Romero with me was unbelievable. Top. In his behaviour, his respect, he suffered when he did not play the last game. It is not true that he wanted to leave for Argentina to prepare for their World Cup. It's not true."
De Zerbi added: "After the semi-final [against England] we text a message, but I never called him to convince him to stay. I respected what he told me. Like for Vicario, like for every player. Romero as a player is one of the best centre-backs in the world, but at the end I said I want to respect the will of the players."
United have already added three new faces to Michael Carrick's squad - Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Karl Darlow. With the window running until 1 September, there's still time for another defensive signing, and Bologna centre-back Jhon Lucumi is one of the names in the frame.
The Colombia international, who featured at the World Cup, is said to be keen on joining a 'big club' this summer. Bologna want £21.4m (€25m) plus £2.6m (€3m) in bonuses, and United are considering whether to match the asking price.
