Tottenham's dramatic collapse to Brighton before the international break highlighted the defensive vulnerability of Ange Postecoglou's team.
Postecoglou described the defeat as the worst of his tenure - with Spurs now having lost 10 times in the Premier League when they have been leading by two or more goals.
And things may be about to get worse in defence for Spurs, with one of their key players now linked with a glamour switch to Real Madrid.
Tottenham defender Cristian Romero major target for Real Madrid - but release clause not an option
Cristian Romero is reportedly a top transfer target for Real Madrid, with speculation having continued to grow on the possible switch since the summer.
The Argentine defender is wanted by the Spanish giants after their failed pursuit of previous top target Leny Yoro, although Tottenham are not keen on the idea of selling.
However, Football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has now shared a major update further muddying the waters on the potential move, claiming that Romero does not have a release clause inserted into his current contract.
It was previously thought Real Madrid could get Romero out of Spurs with a £65 million bid. However, Romano believes this is not the case.
"There’s NO €65m release clause into Cuti Romero’s contract at Spurs despite reports from Argentina," he posted on X. "Tottenham considered him untouchable last summer despite interest from top clubs."
The update will come as a major boost to Tottenham's hopes of retaining Romero, with further speculation from Spain suggesting that chairman Daniel Levy has placed a £175million price tag on the defender.
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The Argentine has become one of the best defenders in the Premier League over the last three seasons and manager Postecoglou will know retaining his services is vital to building a more stable defence.
Romano's fresh report means that Real Madrid would have to construct a monster offer to have any remote hope of tempting Romero away from north London.
In FourFourTwo's opinion, Real would be better off focusing on other targets to reinforce their defence. Levy and Spurs will always drive a hard bargain and will be well aware that retaining Romero and Micky van de Ven in defence is a must, if they want this current team to succeed.
Real are not under pressure to recruit a first-choice centre back immediately with Eder Militao and Antonio Rudiger not going anywhere for the time being.
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