Roberto De Zerbi given Cristian Romero reassurance despite Tottenham release clause claim

Cristian Romero has been linked with a move away from Tottenham Hotspur on numerous occasions this season, but the defender still has three years left on his contract in north London.

Roberto De Zerbi will be glad to know that Cristian Romero doesn't have a release clause in his contract with Tottenham Hotspur. The 27-year-old defender faces a somewhat uncertain future in north London, with the Lilywhites in grave danger of being relegated from the Premier League.

Only a point, and a hefty goal difference, separates Spurs from West Ham in the bottom three following a humiliating defeat to Nottingham Forest just before the international break. De Zerbi has been tasked with leading Tottenham to safety, and unless they beat Sunderland next weekend, they could fall into the drop zone.

Last month, Diego Simeone revealed that he's a 'big fan' of Romero. Then, earlier this week, a journalist in Argentina reportedly claimed that the World Cup winner wants to leave Tottenham and return to his boyhood club, Club Atlético Belgrano.

During an appearance on Argentine radio station Cadena 3, Romero's father commented on the reports. As quoted by Sport Witness, Victor said: "It’s a bombshell that keeps getting bigger.

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"I hope it’s true; as a Belgrano fan and a father, what more could I want, but I don’t know anything. Cuti isn’t one to make statements, that’s why it surprises me."

He continued: "I don’t know anything, but in football, anything can happen. Today, you might be thinking about being close to your family, and tomorrow, they put together a team to win the championship, and everything changes. I don’t want to lie."

In August 2021, Tottenham signed Romero from Atalanta on an initial loan, which included a £42.5million option-to-buy, football.london understands. Spurs activated the clause a year later, with the Argentine penning a five-year deal.

Then, in August 2025, Romero signed a new four-year contract, keeping him at the club until at least June 2029. Still speaking to Cadena 3, the defender's father claimed: "He has two more years on his contract with Tottenham and a very high release clause.

"The English club isn’t going to let him go for free; it’s between $50m to $70m (£37.9m to £53m). For me, they’ll want to recover what they invested."

Despite Victor's claims, football.london understands that Romero does not have a release clause in his Tottenham contract that allows him to join La Liga's big clubs. Any side looking to sign the Argentine this summer would be required to offer whatever price tag Spurs place on their captain at the time.

Romero has also given no indication that he plans to leave the Lilywhites, which will certainly reassure De Zerbi ahead of a difficult end to the campaign. During the March international break, he told Ole: "I’m not really having the best time there, to be honest.

"But beyond everything, I have to get myself right, I have to focus on the club now. I need to switch on the Tottenham mindset, try to get out of the bad situation we’re in and, like I always do, give everything in every training session, in every match, and try to move forward..."