Arsenal are 'pushing hard' to sign Tottenham defender Cristian Romero ahead of transfer frontrunners Atletico Madrid, according to reports.
Romero's desire to leave
Romero, who started Argentina's World Cup final defeat to Spain, has made it clear he wants to leave Spurs this summer after five years at the club. The 28-year-old has been a mainstay in the Tottenham team since his £42.5m move from Atalanta in 2022, making 123 appearances in the Premier League alone.
Romero is keen to leave after experiencing back-to-back relegation battles at Tottenham and has reportedly approved a move to La Liga giants Atletico Madrid.
Arsenal's interest
But the Argentine has also attracted interest from Tottenham's London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea and Serie A side AC Milan.
Premier League champions Arsenal are keen to sign a new centre-back after losing William Saliba to a worrying injury and have this week been 'pushing hard' for Romero, according to reports in Italy.
But club-to-club relations between Arsenal and Tottenham are understandably tense so Atletico are still believed to be 'leading the transfer race'.
Saliba's injury
Saliba has established himself as one of the best defenders in the world in recent years and helped Arsenal win the Premier League and reach the Champions League final last season.
But Arsenal will have to make do without the Frenchman for an 'extended period' after he aggravated a back injury during the World Cup.
'William Saliba has returned to us from World Cup duty, where he played an integral role in France reaching the semi-finals of the competition,' Arsenal said in a statement. 'Subsequent specialist reviews on William's return to London this week have confirmed that he has suffered a back injury which will require a period of rehabilitation.
'Extensive assessments have concluded that surgery is not recommended, but William should now commence a managed recovery programme. William's rehabilitation will commence immediately, with continual management of his injury, and he is expected to be out of action for an extended period.
'Everyone is fully focused on supporting William to ensure he is back to full fitness as soon as possible.'
Other targets
Arsenal have also expressed interest in Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa as they look for defensive cover, while they were linked with John Stones before the Manchester City legend joined Inter Milan.
The Gunners have had a subdued start to the summer transfer window, so far only bringing in winger Christos Tzolis and back-up goalkeeper Illan Meslier. However, Arsenal are set to sign Bruno Guimaraes in a £75m deal from Newcastle United and remain interested in a stunning swoop for Real Madrid and Brazil icon Vinicius Junior.
