Paul Scholes has urged Manchester United to make a bold move for Cristian Romero, describing the Tottenham defender as a "nutter" with the potential to become a cult hero. Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast, Scholes argued that Romero, a World Cup winner, could be an upgrade on Michael Carrick's current defensive options.
Scholes backs Romero despite disciplinary concerns
"You might laugh at this. I'll get a lot of stick for this. A centre-half I'd go and get now... Cristian Romero from Tottenham. I know he's a nutter. I know he's got disciplinary issues," Scholes said. "But I just think he can be a very good centre-half and I think someone like Michael [Carrick] could really calm him down. And you're talking 30 or 40 million quid. This is a fella who's played centre half and won the World Cup."
Scholes acknowledged Romero's disciplinary record but compared his maverick nature to Eric Cantona. "He's got that bit of an idiot about him. It's not a very nice thing to say, you know, a bit like [Eric] Cantona did," he added. "Obviously, Cantona was a centre forward. It's a little bit different, more creative. But I just think he could become a bit of a cult hero type. Funnily enough, that's what I like about him. There's a bit of maverick about a centre-half."
Romero's expected exit from Tottenham
Romero, who was handed the Tottenham captaincy last year after signing a four-year contract, is set to leave Spurs this summer. Atletico Madrid are in talks to sign the Argentine, though the two clubs are several million pounds apart in their valuation. Inter Milan, Barcelona, and Arsenal have also shown interest, but a move to north London rivals Arsenal seems highly unlikely.
Romero previously came close to leaving Spurs, especially after Ange Postecoglou's exit. Current manager Roberto De Zerbi said he would respect Romero's desire to leave. "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," De Zerbi said.
United's defensive search continues
Scholes also highlighted the need for reliable centre-halves at United, noting that Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez have struggled with injuries. "I actually quite like the young kid Ayden Heaven. He's still making little mistakes because he's young but I think he could be very good him. I wouldn't mind seeing him with Romero actually," he said.
United have already signed Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, and Karl Darlow this summer. With the transfer window open until September 1, Bologna centre-back Jhon Lucumi is among the names being considered. The Colombia international, who appeared at the World Cup, is reportedly eager to join a 'big club', with Bologna demanding £21.4m (€25m) plus £2.6m (€3m) in add-ons.
