news-engine

Man United backed to hijack Cristian Romero transfer after defender's green light Manchester United icon Paul Scholes wants to see Spurs defender Cristian Romero at Old Trafford ahead of a demanding 2026/27 campaign Paul Scholes has surprisingly urged Manchester United to hijack a move for Cristian Romero, who is expected to leave Tottenham this window. The Argentine only signed a four‑year deal last summer when he was made captain, but now appears set for Spain after giving the green light to a switch to Atletico Madrid. Fabrizio Romano reports that a deal is close, though both clubs remain a few million apart on the fixed fee, with the bonus structure still to be agreed. He adds that Atletico are pushing to get it done and will return with a new bid. Inter Milan, Barcelona and Arsenal have also shown interest, though a sale to the latter – Spurs' north London rivals – looks highly unlikely. Despite Romero's preference for Atleti, Scholes believes United should attempt to steal the move, arguing that adding a top‑class centre‑back to support Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire would be crucial as they compete on all fronts this season, including the Champions League. "This is one you might laugh at," Scholes said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast. "[United should sign] Cristian Romero from Tottenham. I know he's a nutter. I know he's got disciplinary issues. "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. Now, like I said, I know he's got issues, disciplinary issues. “I actually think he’ll go to Atletico Madrid, but, you know, talk about ‘mavericks’? And I know he's a centre half, but do you know what I mean? 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. 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.” 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. "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]." Manchester United have launched their new home kit for the 2026/27 season, inspired by the club's heritage and featuring a classic polo collar with iconic adidas details. Romero has come close to leaving Spurs before, notably after Ange Postecoglou departed. And Roberto De Zerbi has previously said that he will respect Romero's wishes to leave north London. "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 added three players to Michael Carrick's squad so far: Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Karl Darlow. With the window open until September 1, club officials still have time to secure another defensive signing, with Bologna's Jhon Lucumi among those linked. The Colombia international, who featured at the World Cup, is reportedly keen on joining a 'big club' this summer after attracting interest from several sides. Bologna are demanding £21.4m (€25m) plus £2.6m (€3m) in add‑ons, and United are said to be weighing up whether to meet that valuation.