Manchester United considering a £65 million move for Romero? The true transfer stance revealed! Red Devils youngster heading to Leeds United

Argentine media sources claim that Manchester United are ready to submit a bid for Tottenham's polarizing center-back Cristian Romero. Several pundits have forecast over the past few months that Romero will depart North London this summer, ending his four-year stint at Spurs. The 28-year-old Argentine international aims to embark on a fresh journey, while Tottenham are pursuing Van Hecke, whose price tag is approximately £70 million, to fill the void.

Romero's contract with Tottenham runs until June 2029. However, he is eager to play at the highest level, and Spurs have finished in the bottom half of the Premier League for two consecutive seasons. This season especially, they ranked only 17th and narrowly avoided relegation on the final day.

Argentine journalist Gastón Edul, who follows the national team, claims United are ready to seize the opportunity and submit a bid for Romero. "Manchester United want to buy Cuti Romero and are preparing an offer," Gastón declared on his social media, without providing further details.

Currently, Carrick's Manchester United have five center-backs, while the 4-2-3-1 formation only requires two. Harry Maguire secured a one-year extension before the season ended and will continue competing with De Ligt and Lisandro Martínez, alongside young defenders Leny Yoro and Eden Heaven.

Thus, United have enough center-back options with a balanced age profile: Maguire is 33, De Ligt and Lisandro are in their prime, while Yoro and Heaven are in their early 20s. The squad has sufficient defensive depth for a packed schedule, but it's worth noting that De Ligt has been sidelined with a back injury since November and recently underwent surgery, meaning his recovery will take some time.

Lisandro is also injury-prone, Maguire is aging, and Yoro and Heaven lack experience—Carrick is not entirely confident in them. Romero, however, has partnered with Lisandro in the Argentina national team and possesses extensive Premier League experience, so he would likely require little adaptation if he joins.

But it must be emphasized that Romero has his own issues. Particularly since returning from an anterior cruciate ligament tear in February 2025, he has been plagued by physical problems. Another flaw of the 28-year-old Argentine center-back is his controversial nature. Last season, he was the second "dirtiest" player in the Premier League, receiving too many yellow and red cards, with six red cards—including an unnecessary one against Manchester United. Moreover, Romero has had conflicts with Tottenham's management, which is something Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS dislikes.

Therefore, Romero's arrival could negatively impact the Manchester United dressing room. Considering his price tag exceeding €65 million, the deal is not as appealing as it might seem. Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Romero's contract contains no release clause. Although he once had a gentleman's agreement with Tottenham that the club would let him go if a La Liga team made a good offer, no specific €60 million or other price was set. Moreover, that agreement was with Daniel Levy, who is no longer at the club.

This means signing Romero from Tottenham will not be straightforward. Manchester United are currently busy strengthening their midfield. According to the *Manchester Evening News*, reports that United are planning to bid for Romero are "wide of the mark." United have denied that Romero is on their summer transfer list. British media generally believe that United are not actively pursuing a center-back at this point and are more focused on reinforcing other positions, particularly midfield and the left flank.

Purely for hype, rumors about Manchester United's center-back changes still surface occasionally. Recently, there was even an absurd claim that Maguire could still leave after extending his contract, joining Inter Milan in Serie A. That, of course, is pure fabrication.

Currently, the player closest to leaving Manchester United is a youth academy talent—Silva Mexes Tyler-Earnshaw—who will join Leeds United in a few weeks. The 16-year-old Mexes will first sign a scholarship contract and then turn professional after turning 17 early next year, playing for the U18 and U21 teams.

Mexes plays as a left winger. As a child, he was a 100-meter sprinter and won the Essex County under-13 100-meter title. According to British media, he is one of the fastest footballers in the world, with a 100-meter dash time of 11.1 seconds.

Mexes was born in England, but his father is former Wales international Robert Earnshaw. Earnshaw played for West Brom and Derby County in the Premier League and is the only player to have scored hat-tricks in the Premier League, all three divisions of the English Football League, the League Cup, the FA Cup, and for his national team.

In 2024, Mexes moved from Ipswich Town to Manchester United's youth setup. He later chose to represent his mother Tiffany Taylor's home country, Thailand, and has been selected for their youth national team. He is ineligible to play for Wales, the country his father represented, because Earnshaw, despite earning 59 caps for Wales, was not born in Wales but in Zambia.

Manchester United recently poached youth scout Harvey Busby from Newcastle United. Busby confirmed he has left the "Magpies" after three years to become the Red Devils' domestic chief scout for the U14 to U18 age groups. Busby joined Newcastle in 2023 and was appointed chief youth technical scout at just 23 years old.

United had hoped to also bring Newcastle's youth team director Paul Midgley, who previously worked with Manchester United's football director Jason Wilcox and new youth director Stephen Torpey at Manchester City. However, he turned down the role of youth transfer director at United, and the club ultimately promoted Connor Hunter to the position internally.