The biggest story at Tottenham right now is the imminent departure of captain Cristian Romero, a situation that carries real consequences for the club's identity and defensive structure heading into a new season. Atletico Madrid have opened formal talks and are preparing a significant bid for the 28-year-old Argentina international, as Goal reports, with Inter Milan also in the picture according to earlier coverage. Arsenal made a shock approach to sign Romero for their own defensive crisis, but Tottenham firmly ruled that out, making a move to Spain or Italy the far more likely outcome.

Roberto De Zerbi has addressed the speculation publicly, acknowledging the situation around his captain, and with a departure now widely expected, Toby Alderweireld told Goal what Spurs need from their next skipper, with Micky van de Ven, Dejan Kulusevski, and James Maddison among the candidates to inherit the armband.

Off the back of a reported nearly £240m spending spree this summer, Spurs are pushing forward with attacking additions too. A £125m combined move for Savinho and Nicolas Jackson is being prepared, while Victor Osimhen has emerged as another target. New signing Mateus Fernandes revealed he chose Spurs over Manchester United after De Zerbi made a personal appeal. A 2-1 friendly win over Chelsea provided some positive momentum, with Getafe the next opposition on August 8.