First Spurs to Arsenal transfer in 25 years could happen as shock star 'open' to controversial switch

Cristian Romero would be 'open' to a controversial move from Tottenham Hotspur to Arsenal in the summer transfer window, reports claim.

The 28-year-old defender is expected to leave Spurs this summer and would reportedly be open to the shocking move that would cause friction across North London.

The Sun claims that Arsenal would be interested in a controversial deal for the Argentine defender, though the report states Spurs have absolutely zero interest in entertaining such a move.

Instead, a move to Europe would appear the most likely, with both Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan reportedly keen on a move for Romero as well.

Spurs are eager to rebuild under new head coach Roberto De Zerbi this summer, and although they won't stand in the way of Romero, they are adamant they will not allow him to join their fierce rivals.

The prospect of Romero moving to Arsenal would bring back memories of when fellow centre-back Sol Campbell made the controversial switch back in 2001.

Campbell was the last player to move directly from Tottenham Hotspur to Arsenal, which earned him the title of 'Judas' among the White Hart Lane faithful.

He was a free agent following the expiration of his Spurs contract, so they had no say in the matter, while Romero is still contracted until June 2029 and simply won't be allowed to move to the Emirates Stadium.

The last player to move between the two clubs was another central defender, when William Gallas joined Tottenham following the expiration of his Arsenal contract in 2010.

Romero's existing contract would appear to rule out any realistic prospect of the transfer, though De Zerbi is already planning for life without him.

Tottenham signed Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton for £52million as his replacement and would like to recoup some of the transfer fee through the sale of the recent World Cup finalist.

It is understood that a move to Atletico Madrid is the most likely solution due to their long-term interest in the player, with head coach Diego Simeone supposedly a huge fan of his compatriot.

Atletico failed in their attempts to sign Romero a year ago, when former manager Thomas Frank convinced the defender to stay and handed him a bumper new contract, along with the captaincy.

Although there is also interest from Inter, it is reported that Atletico are ready to launch a fresh £40 million bid for Romero and are confident they should be able to reach an agreement.