Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterRoberto De Zerbi. One step. Winning the race for Mateus Fernandes. Another step. Breaking up Newcastle United's midfield unit with an audacious Sandro Tonali swoop. Another.Tottenham Hotspur have taken three huge strides away from the nadir of their banter era namely back-to-back 17th-placed finishes in the Premier League, a wound that, at points, even a Europa League triumph failed to strap up.But one moment this summer threatened to plunge them right back to the unedifying start.Were talking, of course, about the mooted transfer of Cristian Romero to sworn enemies Arsenal.The Argentinian centre-back, while clearly one of their more gifted talents in these dark years, had been a thorn in the side of Spurs for some time off the pitch. You may like I've done a complete U-turn on Roberto De Zerbi, here's why Tottenham Hotspur can launch a title challenge under him Tottenham's Cristian Romero sale agreed, with bizarre �7.5m hole breaking Spurs' transfer logic Roberto De Zerbi's first three Tottenham Hotspur signings revealed Unafraid to call out higher-ups, Spurs fans quite liked some of the spikier elements of the defender's personality. But when he was missing in action for the Lilywhites relegation-decider against Everton at the end of last season, positive feelings soon evaporated. From then, the writing was on the wall.A parting of the ways was somewhat telegraphed, but that one sensational transfer link to the other side of north London threatened to take a knife to Spurs patchwork quilt of a reputation.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Its not that Romero would have vastly improved a rival. In fact, hed have probably struggled to break the Gabriel-Saliba duopoly over the Gunners backline, dependent on the latter's fitness.Football is a patch of grass and 22 players chasing around a bag of air. But in the modern day, with the vast sums of money involved, it is also a game of hubris.Its exponents can try to rise above that petty truth, but it is a truth. These things matter. They feed into how a club views itself. What to read next Tottenham Hotspur battled relegation last season, but a busy summer transfer window could see the London club back in competitive form under Roberto De Zerbi - Tottenham Hotspur 2026-27 season preview What happened at Spurs this year can never, ever happen again they need people who can handle the pressure and really want to stay. A spine like Arsenal's, who will deliver every week Former Champions League finalist tells FFT how the club can rebuild Tottenham Hotspur chief breaks silence on relegation near-miss as owners make huge summer promise Luis Figo. Ashley Cole. S*l C******l.These transfers not only come to define the career of the individual involved, but also entire eras in football teams and their cities.Joan Gaspart, Barcelonas president as Figo made that move, said it destroyed the club. And thats Barcelona.In a frenzied race to try and save face amid the backlash, the former executive admits he rushed to get new faces through the door.It didnt work. The Catalans didnt lift another major trophy for another five years, when 2004/05 brought LaLiga back to Camp Nou.Five years. An entire peak of a players career gone in the click of one transfer. Thats how damaging these moves can be.Now, it would be hyperbolic to suggest Romero rocking up at the Emirates would have been anywhere near as seismic as Figos move pigs need never have feared for their heads in the English capital but it illustrates a point: history has shown its a game to be avoided at all costs.Thankfully, those at Tottenham recognised this, with concrete talks seemingly never countenanced. Each and every report carrying the same disclaimer that they wouldn't even enter the discussion.As the Sky Sports News ticker unfurled with the story, it threatened to swipe Spurs recent progress with it. Instead, in this new-era, cold-faced Spurs, the drama fizzled out as soon as it had sparked.It was replaced by news that Romero was heading to the stage for that Figo scandal 26 years earlier, to Madrid. Only it was Atletico rather than Real for the 28-year-old.A match made in heaven, Romero will be at home under Atletis legendary Argentinian coach, Diego Simeone, and his Dark Arts enthusiasts an apt resolution for all parties involved, even if the defender's exit from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium did his legacy in N17 no favours.A development that at one point may have derailed Tottenham, their progression train continues to chug ahead without a scratch.Spurs look serious and decisive this summer. And they might just mean it this time.TOPICSCristian RomeroTottenham HotspurArsenalPremier LeagueIsaac Stacey StrongeSocial Links NavigationFreelance WriterIsaac Stacey Stronge is a freelance football writer working for FourFourTwo, Manchester United and Football League World. He has been a season ticket holder at Stockport County throughout the Hatters meteoric rise from the National League North to League One and is a die-hard Paddy Madden fan.
