Manchester United urged to beat Atletico Madrid to ‘mad clown’ Cristian Romero deal

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has urged his former club to try to sign Tottenham captain Cristian Romero before Atletico Madrid, despite describing the Argentina defender as “mad” and “an absolute clown”.

The 28-year-old is expected to leave Tottenham this summer after being given permission to join Atletico Madrid. The Spanish club are in intensive negotiations with the north London side, with only a few million separating the two teams in their discussions.

Manchester United are also actively searching for new options to strengthen Michael Carrick’s squad before the start of the new season. United will compete in the Champions League after finishing third in the Premier League last season.

Scholes criticised Romero’s reckless and undisciplined approach to defending for Tottenham, but surprisingly suggested that Manchester United should move ahead of Atletico Madrid and secure his signature.

Speaking about potential Manchester United transfer targets on The Good, the Bad and Football podcast, Scholes said: “This is one you might laugh at. Cristian Romero from Tottenham.”

He added, as reported by the Daily Mail: “I know this might seem ridiculous, but I think I’m a fan of him. I think he’s mad. He’s a very good defender, but he does some stupid things. He’s an absolute clown in every sense of the word.”

Scholes continued: “He seems to be a really popular defender, genuinely. I know this might sound strange, but I think the Old Trafford fans would love him.”

Romero has established himself as an important figure at Tottenham, but his aggressive style has also made him prone to errors and rash decisions. Atletico Madrid are currently the club closest to completing a deal for the Argentina international, although negotiations remain unresolved.

Scholes believes Manchester United must strengthen at centre-back in particular if they are to make progress in the coming seasons.

“I think centre-back is probably the most important position that needs addressing,” he said. “You need reliable centre-backs in the Premier League. They need to be fit enough to play in most of the matches.”

Scholes also assessed the options already available to United in defence, saying: “Harry Maguire isn’t, but Martinez suffers a lot of injuries. We have the young Ayden Heaven, who I think is a really promising talent, but he will still make mistakes. He’s young.”

His comments represent a striking change of tone towards Romero. Although Scholes questioned the defender’s judgement and labelled him a “clown”, he believes the 28-year-old’s quality, character and popularity could make him a success at Old Trafford.

Manchester United are therefore faced with a decision over whether to pursue a player who Scholes considers both highly talented and unpredictable, or allow Atletico Madrid to complete the transfer from Tottenham.