It's been a tumultuous few years for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, so much so that N17 was starting to resemble a managerial merry-go-round.
In the years following Mauricio Pochettino's sacking, the Lilywhites welcomed José Mourinho, Antonio Conte, and Nuno Espírito Santo, and while there were some bright moments here and there, all three failed.
That said, while Nuno's tenure was the shortest, he did manage to sign a player who has gone on to be one of the most important for Ange Postecoglou this year, and as a result, his valuation has shot past club captain Son Heung-min's
Cristian Romero's Spurs career
The player in question is Argentinian centre-back Cristian Romero, who joined Nuno's Lilywhites side in the summer of 2021 for a fee in the region of £42m.
Since moving to London from Serie A side Atalanta, the "monster" defender, as dubbed by journalist Charlie Eccleshare, has seen his reputation steadily rise alongside his popularity among the Spurs faithful for his non-nonsense, front-foot style of defending.
This approach to the game has sometimes backfired on the 26-year-old. In his 97 appearances for the North Londoners, he has also picked up 28 yellow cards, three-second yellows, and one red card, meaning he is sent off on average every 24 games, which isn't ideal.
However, when he's on the pitch and staying out of trouble, he's a brilliant addition to the team and arguably "the best defender in the world", at least according to his international teammate Lionel Messi, and considering the pair have won the World Cup and Copa América together, he probably knows a thing or two.
Not content with just thwarting goals, Romero, Atalanta's Player of the Year for the 2020/21 season, has also found his scoring boots this campaign. As it stands, he has netted five times in 33 appearances, including one against fierce rivals Arsenal.
Appearances
97
Goals
6
Assists
1
Yellow Cards
28
Second Yellows
3
Red Cards
1
In all, Spurs played a blinder in signing the "incredible" Romero in 2021, as described by journalist Alasdair Gold, and his soaring valuation is further proof of that.
Romero's valuation in 2024
According to the CIES Football Observatory, Romero is worth €60m, which converts to around £51m, or £9m more than he cost the club almost three years ago.
1
Destiny Udogie
€80m (£69m)
£15m
2
Cristian Romero
€60m (£51m)
£42m
2
Pedro Porro
€60m (£51m)
£39m
3
Micky van de Ven
€50m (£43m)
£43m
4
Emerson Royal
€20m (£17m)
£26m
5
Radu Dragusin
€20m (£17m)
£27m
5
Ben Davis
€10m (£9m)
Unknown
This new valuation also makes the World Cup winner the joint second most valuable defender at the club, alongside Pedro Porro and behind only Destiny Udogie, who is valued at €80m or £69m.
Moreover, the all-action centre-back is now worth more than his captain, Son, who the CIES price at just €30m, which is just £26m, or essentially half of Romero's value.
Now, this doesn't mean the South Korean is half the player or even half as important as the 26-year-old, as demonstrated by his 17 goals and nine assists this season, but it is indicative of his age.
At 31 years old, no matter how good a winger is, unless they're Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, their transfer value is going to start coming down.
Goalkeeper
28
Centre-Back
27
Full-Back
25
Central Midfielder
25
Wide Attacker
26
Central Attacking Midfielder
26
Striker
27
That's because, as demonstrated by The Athletic, the majority of wide players peak in their mid-to-late twenties, and following that period, their output starts to come down.
Ultimately, Spurs have two genuinely excellent players in Romero and Son, and while it's sad to think about the end of the latter's career, the fact the former is now worth so much should encourage fans that their side has a bright future with him at the base of their defence.
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