Messi wanted him alongside him during his time at Barça: ‘Having him in defence is the best thing that could happen to me.’
Speaking to Telemundo, Leo Messi praised Cristian Romero, the former Atalanta player who was voted the best defender in Serie A for the year 2020/2021.
About the Tottenham‘s center-back, the Argentine legend said: “He is the best defender in the world right now, Having him behind me is the best thing that could happen to me. He always forces me to go forward because he wants to play one-on-one with his opponent. I’ve gotten used to not looking back, and this is very positive for an offensive player.”
These words came after Argentina’s victory over Ecuador, where Leo Messi‘s direct free-kick secured the win for the Albiceleste in a World Cup qualification match. After the game, Messi didn’t take the spotlight but pointed to his teammate as the hero of the match.
HIS SERIE A EXPERIENCE
Romero arrived in Italy at Genoa from Belgrano and was acquired by Juventus in the summer of 2019, then loaned back to Genoa for a season.
In the following transfer window, Atalanta brought him in from Juventus on a two-year loan before buying him off and then transferring him to Tottenham for a fee of around €50 million.
But it was in the summer of 2021 that Messi strongly requested Romero to join Barcelona, but the negotiations had a different outcome: Messi signed with PSG, while the Argentine defender moved to the Premier League.
