Is Romero Shaping Up to be One of the Best Centre Halves this Season?

It has been an exciting start to the 2024/25 Premier League season. As we look at the table following the second international break of the campaign, 8 points separate the top 11 clubs, with Tottenham Hotspur sitting in 9th place. It has been an inconsistent start to the season for Spurs but one player who has started strongly is Cristian Romero.

The Rise of Romero

Romero started his career with Belgrano in his native Argentina and made his debut for the club in 2016. Just two years later and Romero was on the move to Europe, joining Genoa in Serie A. After a string of impressive performances, the central defender moved to Juventus for €26 million. During a loan spell with Atalanta in 2020/21, Romero was named as the best defender in Serie A and then came a loan move to Tottenham Hotspur. The deal was made permanent in August 2022 for a fee of €52 million.

Disciplinary Problems

There was no doubting Romero’s ability as a central defender, and he produced several strong performances in his first season with Spurs. However, there was one issue which was holding Romero back and that was discipline. Despite being named as one of Tottenham’s vice-captains for the 2023/24 season, Romero was struggling to maintain his discipline and when he was shown a red card in the loss to Chelsea on the 6th of November 2023, it was the fourth time he had been dismissed as a Spurs player. During his brief time in the Premier League, Romero had been sent off more than any other player and that was proving an issue for both Romero and Spurs.

There was a time when Spurs were playing that gamblers were looking at the odds for Romero to be sent off. Markets for red and yellow cards are available at some online sportsbooks, including sports betting sites not on gamstop. Romero was often the first name on the list when looking at card betting odds for Premier League games.

Improvement in 2024

If we look at Romero’s stats for the first 7 matches of the 2024/25 season, it makes enjoyable reading. Perhaps the most notable statistic is the lack of any yellow or red cards. Romero has clearly worked on his discipline, and he has become a player Spurs can rely on this season. Romero is currently 17th in the Premier League for the number of aerial duals won, with an average of 2.4 per game across 7 matches. The Argentine is also comfortably inside the top 50 when it comes to overall average rating this season.

One of Romero’s greatest strengths this season has been his passing ability. Ange Postecoglou wants his team to play out from the back and Romero has become a key ingredient when starting attacks from the defensive third. Romero has a passing percentage of 92% this season in the Premier League. Only 18 players in the whole division can boast a bigger passing average than Romero and only 5 of those 18 players have played 7 games.

There have been a couple of lapses in concentration during games this season and that is one area Romero will be hoping to improve following the second international break. However, with the significant disciplinary improvement, excellent passing, and commitment to defending, there is no doubt Romero has what it takes to be one of the best central defenders in the Premier League this season. His performances at the back will have a major influence on where Spurs finish in the Premier League and that alone underlines his importance to the team.