Cristian Romero is expected to leave Tottenham Hotspur this summer, with Inter Milan leading the race while Barcelona and Real Madrid continue to monitor the Argentine defender’s situation.

Cristian Romero’s time at Tottenham Hotspur appears to be drawing to a close, with growing expectations that the Argentine centre-back will leave north London before the end of the summer transfer window. Sources close to the situation believe his departure is now only a matter of time.

The 28-year-old’s future has become one of the biggest talking points following Argentina’s defeat in the FIFA World Cup final. Despite the disappointment on the international stage, Romero remains one of the most highly-rated defenders available on the transfer market.

Inter Milan have emerged as the favourites to secure his signature. The Serie A giants have already shown strong interest in strengthening their defence and are also exploring a separate move for Tottenham full-back Djed Spence as part of their summer rebuild.

Barcelona continue to monitor Romero’s situation and could intensify their pursuit if they succeed in offloading one of their current central defenders before the transfer deadline. The Spanish champions have long admired the Argentine’s aggressive style and leadership qualities.

Real Madrid are also keeping a close eye on developments. The European giants are still finalising defensive reinforcements under Jose Mourinho, and Romero is understood to be among the names under consideration should they decide to enter the market.

Tottenham would ideally prefer to sell Romero abroad rather than strengthen a Premier League rival. Although there have been rumours linking Manchester United with the defender, Spurs are reluctant to negotiate with domestic competition unless presented with an exceptional offer.

United’s interest could increase depending on the fitness of Lisandro Martinez following the injury the Argentina international sustained during the World Cup final. The Red Devils were already assessing defensive reinforcements before Martinez’s setback.

While Romero’s exit looks increasingly inevitable, Tottenham are determined to avoid losing another key defender. The club are now working to convince Micky van de Ven to remain by opening discussions over a new long-term contract, hoping the Dutchman can become the cornerstone of their defence once Romero departs.