Real Madrid to go after Tottenham captain instead of Micky van de Ven after Dayot Upamecano deal collapse?

The Dayot Upamecano transfer plans collapsing means Real Madrid are forced to look elsewhere for a strong defender known for leadership skills. The search has ended with Cristian Romero—Tottenham's World Cup winner with Argentina, who is also the captain of the London side.

At 27, Romero is reportedly looking for a fresh challenge despite being contracted by the Europa League winners until 2029. Real Madrid are reportedly prepared to spend up to €80 million to convince Tottenham Hotspur to sell their captain. Xabi Alonso is impressed by "Cuti" Romero's aggression, ball distribution, and consistency, among other factors, and has already okayed the club's move to go after him, the report added.

Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank has confirmed Romero will remain the team captain after a social media post by the two-time Copa América winner had raised eyebrows. The gaffer added that the Argentine will not be fined over the post.

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Romero apologised to Spurs fans in an Instagram post after the team was beaten 3-2 by Bournemouth, saying, "at times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don't." The former Atalanta player didn't stop there, as he went on to add, "...they only show up when things are going well" and "we are responsible, there's no doubt about that. I am the first. But we will keep facing up to it and trying to turn the situation around."

Double Spurs delight on the cards?

Interestingly, Romero is not the only Spurs defender linked to Los Blancos in recent times. His deputy, Micky van de Ven, has also been on the club's radar for quite some time. The Dutchman is also uninterested in extending his stay at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and is on the lookout for options.

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However, the latest reports didn't mention whether the exits of Antonio Rüdiger and David Alaba are going to make way for the Spurs duo at the Bernabéu. Éder Militão's fitness concerns leave Real without a proper, experienced centre-back to guide youngsters Raúl Asencio and Dean Huijsen.

While spending on new defenders has become unavoidable for Real Madrid, it remains to be seen if they will make a double purchase from Tottenham. It also needs to be noted that the Upamecano deal collapsed because the Florentino Pérez-led board was unwilling to meet the financial demands set forth by the Bayern Munich star to join Los Blancos.