Manchester United enter race to sign Tottenham star with £52m transfer clause

Manchester United are considering a move for Tottenham captain Cristian Romero, according to reports in Spain.

The Argentina international appears on course to leave Spurs this summer after taking aim at the club’s hierarchy earlier this season.

Atletico Madrid made an attempt to sign Romero last year but refused to pay Spurs’ €55 million (£47m) asking price.

According to Marca, Atletico have retained their interest ahead of the summer transfer window and are considering a new move.

The report claims that Real Madrid are also considering a deal for Romero as they are looking to sign a new central defender, but Manchester United’s interest in the 27-year-old also represents a ‘major problem’ for Atletico.

Romero is said to have a special clause in his contract with Spurs which would allow him to join Atletico, Real Madrid or Barcelona this summer if a €60m (£51.9m) bid is submitted.

Speaking before Atletico knocked Spurs out of the Champions League this month, Diego Simeone made it clear that he was a huge admirer of the Tottenham captain.

‘I speak from a point of view as an Argentina fan. I admire his personality, his character, his defensive work and his football ability on the ball,’ Simeone said.

‘As a fan of Argentina, I have seen him play more games for the national team than I have for Spurs, but I’m a big fan of him, for sure.’

When asked about his future after Spurs’ Champions League exit, Romero said: ‘The truth is that I’m focused on the situation we’re in.

‘I have a lot of respect and affection for the club and I want to finish the season in the best way possible. We’ll see later but the most important thing now is to recover energy.’

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