Cristian Romero has another prestigious suitor as Barcelona joined the fray to acquire him. However, the Blaugrana face the same difficulties, if not more, of the other teams that previously tried to do the same. Lionel Messi is a big fan of the center-back, which prompted them to make an attempt, Sportitalia reports. The two played together in the recent Copa America.
According to Tuttomercatoweb, Barcelona approached Atalanta offering an initial loan with obligation to buy. They are willing to put one of their players, likely a youngster, in the deal. The Bergamaschi have no interest in doing the deal at those conditions and rebuffed them. They previously turned down a package from Tottenham that featured a €30M fee and Davinson Sanchez.
Romero has been one of the most coveted defenders in the summer window. Manchester United pursued him before moving onto Raphael Varane. The Spurs are still after him, and probably in the lead, but they need to improve their previous bid. Atalanta want close to €60M for their star, and it could be challenging for Barcelona to reach such threshold.
The Blaugrana would likely have to part ways with some of their center-backs first. Clement Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti might be on their way out, but they are currently still with the club. Barcelona are under intense scrutiny from La Liga over their finances. They would be able to pull off the deal only at more favorable terms. Instead, Atalanta are well-known for driving a hard bargain when it comes to sales.