Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero put in another solid performance in the 3-1 victory over Leicester City on Sunday as Spurs ensured they remained well in the hunt for a top four finish this season.
The Argentina international has started the last 14 top flight games for Spurs and has received plenty of plaudits for his displays this season, while Son Heung-min gave him a special mention following the defeat of the Foxes.
But the South Korean forward, who netted twice at the weekend, hasn’t just been full of praise for what Romero does on the pitch, but also what he does off it, as he reveals what the defender has been doing with his teammates behind the scenes.
This is the first season in which Romero has plied his trade on English-speaking soil, after growing up in Argentina and then spending the past three years in Italy with Genoa, Juventus and Atalanta, but Son has revealed the 24-year-old’s desire to learn the language and speak to everyone in the squad.
He told said: "It's fresh energy every time new players come in. The first time is not the best feeling because it's a weird feeling, we don't know each other, but now we understand each other and Cuti has tried really hard, wanting to speak to everyone, so this brings us all more and more closer and this changes everything."
This perhaps highlights just how dedicated Romero is to proving his worth at the club ahead of a proposed permanent move to north London upon the expiry of his loan at the end of the season, in a deal that is set to be worth £42.5 million.
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And going by his performances so far this season, it would be a bargain for Spurs following his impressive form in a back three under Antonio Conte, in which he has helped to keep seven clean sheets in 21 Premier League appearances this campaign.
He has undoubtedly been a huge part in Tottenham ’s surge up the league table since the Italian took over, helping to form part of a three-man defence that has looked less shaky and more comfortable as time has gone on, while he also recorded his first goal for the club in March’s 2-0 victory at Brighton.
The centre back certainly isn’t afraid to go in for a challenge and that has been proven in his 11 bookings this season, yet it shows his grit and determination to win the ball rather than anything else that is of genuine concern.
Reflecting on his brace on Sunday afternoon, Son added: "Obviously you're scoring goals but you're not scoring alone. There's always a previous action. Cuti won it back twice so he made one tackle and then the second tackle was obviously risky, which a defender has to do sometimes.
"Cuti did an unbelievable job, not only this situation but the whole game. He was fantastic. This goal for me goes to Cuti because he deserves the credit 100%. I'm very happy to score the goals but this one goes to Cuti."
Conte may have said nothing more about Romero other than that he had a “good game”, but the Italian will be well aware of the impact that his defender has had on the squad this season and is most likely looking to keep him on his toes. Nonetheless, the 24-year-old has been a breath of fresh air in the Spurs defence and is sure to seal a permanent move this summer.
