According to a report by Football London on Thursday November 5, 2026, Chelsea midfielder Valentin Barco has revealed that he would love to see Argentina international Cristian Romero join the Blues, following previous reports linking the defender with a summer move.

Barco has shared the pitch with several outstanding footballers while representing Argentina, including Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez, experiencing international football alongside some of the country's biggest stars.

Argentina reached the World Cup final during the summer, and Barco would welcome the opportunity to play alongside another national teammate regularly at club level.

During an interview with journalist Gaston Edul on his YouTube channel, Barco was asked which player he would choose if Chelsea's owners allowed him to recommend a signing. He answered: "Cuti."

His response referred to Romero, whose nickname is Cuti. The 28-year-old defender recently left Tottenham Hotspur for Atletico Madrid after previously spending several seasons competing against Chelsea in English football.

Romero endured difficult encounters against the Blues, winning just one of eight meetings, suffering six defeats and recording one draw. He was also sent off against Chelsea during his Tottenham career.

Despite those struggles, former Manchester United defender Gary Neville questioned Chelsea's decision not to pursue Romero when they were searching for defensive reinforcements during the summer transfer window.

Instead, Chelsea completed a £52 million move for Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace. Unfortunately, the French defender has suffered an injury expected to keep him unavailable throughout the remainder of 2026.

Romero had reportedly attracted interest from Chelsea, Inter Milan, Barcelona and Arsenal before eventually choosing Atletico Madrid, according to Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport.

A transfer involving Tottenham's captain would have been complicated because of the rivalry between both London clubs, although their relationship has improved recently following several player movements between the sides.

Chelsea previously allowed Tosin Adarabioyo and Mykhailo Mudryk to move towards Tottenham, but selling Romero directly would have represented a considerably different situation for both clubs.