Fabio Paratici's £42.5m transfer agreement that has set Tottenham up for years to come

It's no surprise to see why Lionel Messi was so desperate for Barcelona to make a move for Cristian Romero last summer. Outstanding in his time on loan at Atalanta and deservedly winning the Serie A Defender of the Year gong, the Argentina international was destined for bigger and better things.

With Tottenham on course to secure his signature, reports suggested that Messi was pushing the Spanish club to spring into action and sign him before he headed to north London. In the end, it was Spurs who won the race for the talented 24-year-old, and now Romero is showing everyone why exactly Fabio Paratici was so intent on luring him to Tottenham.

Signed on a season-long loan deal from Atalanta with an option - not obligation - to buy for £42.5million, the Lilywhites will complete the permanent signing this summer. His move is expected to be a mere formality, hence why a five-year contract was announced when he joined the club at the start of last August.

Tottenham player ratings: Cristian Romero a colossus, Son simply sublime and Kulusevski inspired

Making such a difference to Antonio Conte's Tottenham XI since returning in February from a three-month absence due to a hamstring injury, Romero has delivered a number of towering displays. His latest came on Sunday afternoon in the team's 3-1 victory over Leicester City.

Alert early on to produce a sublime clearance as he came from nowhere to cut out Marc Albrighton's pass across the face of goal after a Ben Davies error, the player then made a rare mistake of his own not long after. Selling Eric Dier short with a pass inside his own box, he needed his teammate to react quickly and clear the ball away from danger before it was intercepted in such a good position.

Conte was not