Cristian Romero may have just sent a clear suggestion to Tottenham fans as to what his future holds in north London. The Argentine made the move to north London last summer, when Nuno Espirito Santo was in charge.
At the time, those within Spurs told football.london that the defender had made the loan move with an option that was all but an obligation for the Lilywhites to sign him. It was also believed that Romero had agreed terms on a long-term contract with the club when he first joined.
However, earlier this year the deal was described as more of a complicated one, although thought to be a loan with an obligation to buy for £46.7million. Antonio Conte has been full of praise for a player who has become so key in a Tottenham team, proving why he was Serie A's defender of the year, in the season before he made the move to England.
READ MORE: Antonio Conte clarifies Cristian Romero's Tottenham future after loan ends
When the Italian was asked about Romero and his future at Spurs, Conte didn't seem to have any doubts about the Argentine remaining in N17. "I think the club bought him. I think so," he said. "He's on loan but we have an obligation to buy. We bought him!"
The 24-year-old did suffer with some injury issues in his first season at Tottenham, which included him missing the final stretch of the season. However, when he was fit, Romero quickly became a key part of Conte's regular line-up, starting in 21 of his 22 Premier League features.
The Argentine produced 148 recoveries and 72 clearances, as well as getting up the pitch when he could, to try and make an impact in the attacking third. Just last month, former Lilywhites defender Ledley King, was full of praise for the Spurs man.
"I think he’s been brilliant. He came from Italy with a lot of attention on him from his performances in Italy and he’s settled into the Premier League straight away," the Tottenham legend said.
"You know, I looked at his record of yellow cards and I worried at first but he seems to be able to play with an edge and he seems to be able to control himself. He reads the game extremely well. He likes to come out and play with the ball and he seems to fit the style of the team perfectly. Yeah, he’s a top, top player."
Romero brings aggression to the back line which can sometimes makes fans worried, fearing one of his challenges goes wrong, but the Argentine kept his cool in most games and has a sense of calmness when in possession of the ball. These are all qualities Conte needs in his Tottenham side and with Romero being just 24, he is likely to only get better. This will be helped by the tough pre-season that Spurs are preparing for, the Italian's first in north London.
This will come before a big season, where the 52-year-old will hope to find even more success, in his first full campaign at Tottenham. This will hopefully involve the Lilywhites climbing further up the table and ending their 14-year trophy drought.
Although there hasn't yet been official confirmation of Romero signing a permanent deal at Spurs, the defender may have already given a further suggestion that he isn't going anywhere. On Tuesday, Tottenham revealed their home kit for next season, with many of the players posing in the new shirt.
This included the Argentine and hours after the new kit was revealed, Romero took to social media with the caption, "Ready for next season". If fans didn't already think that the 24-year-old was going to stick around, his social media message may be one step closer to the permanent deal supporters want confirmed.
