Former Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas has cast doubt over Cristian Romero’s future at Spurs, questioning the defender’s suitability as captain and admitting he would not be concerned if the club decided to sell him this summer.
Speaking exclusively to 10bet, the former England international criticised Romero’s leadership credentials and pointed to the Argentine’s disciplinary issues during a difficult campaign for the North London club.
Jenas’ comments come at a time when Tottenham continue to assess their squad ahead of the new season following a relegation scare in the 2025/26 Premier League season, with questions remaining over leadership, defensive stability and the long-term future of several key players.
Jenas doubts Romero’s captaincy credentials
While Jenas acknowledged Romero’s quality as a player, he believes there are serious concerns over whether the World Cup winner can be relied upon to lead the team.
“I just don’t think you can rely on him as a captain. I don’t believe in him from a captain’s point of view or a leadership point of view,” Jenas said.
“Do you have games where you look at Romero and go, ‘God, I’m glad he’s in my team’? Of course you do. But I just think some of his antics at the end of the season, you know, the sendings-off… it was just not what the club needed at that point.”
Jenas believes Spurs neeaded experienced figures to guide the team through a challenging period, but instead saw one of their youngest players take on that responsibility.
“They needed somebody who could carry that club and take a lot on their chin. Instead, it ended up being Archie Gray – one of the youngest players at the club – who was carrying the can for a large period of time.”
The former midfielder also compared the situation to his own experiences at Newcastle United and Tottenham, where he worked under respected leaders.
“I had Alan Shearer when I was at Newcastle. When I came to Spurs, I had Ledley King and Robbie Keane in captaincy roles. I was vice-captain at both clubs, so we never really had wallies, if you know what I mean.”
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Romero future remains uncertain
Jenas also suggested that information coming from within the club has influenced his view on Romero’s future.
“With Romero, look – the players probably like him, right? But there’s definitely a part of you that just looks at him and goes, ‘He’s not a captain.'”
He added: “Tottenham is my club, I still hear things. And I know that if I was asked this question right now and I wasn’t hearing what I’m hearing from inside, then I’d be saying, ‘No, he’s top, keep him.’ But I hear the opposite. So I wouldn’t be bothered if he stays or goes.”
Porro commitment welcomed by Jenas
While Jenas raised concerns over Romero, he welcomed Pedro Porro’s decision to commit his future to Tottenham.
“I like Pedro Porro, and he recently signed a five-year deal. So in terms of keeping him, they’ve done that already.”
Jenas also believes there is healthy competition for the right-back position and wants to see Djed Spence given a consistent opportunity.
“I think there is healthy competition there with Djed Spence for the right-back spot, who I also like.”
“I’d like to see Djed Spence get some solid game time at right-back to see what he’s about there. I think as a pure defender, he offers something different to Porro.
“Going forward, he’s got a lot to offer that we don’t always get to see because so much of our play comes down the left-hand side.”
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