Gary Neville says he is surprised Chelsea did not sign Cristian Romero, arguing that the Tottenham defender would have been an ideal fit for a back three at Stamford Bridge.
Neville also ranked Enzo above the midfielders who completed transfers during the summer, including Elliot Anderson, Matheus Nunes, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes.
Speaking on The Overlap, Neville made clear that Romero was a player he had wanted to see move to Chelsea and praised the Argentina international’s qualities as an aggressive centre-back.
“It might sound bold, but honestly, I really wanted Cristian Romero to join Chelsea,” Neville said on “The Overlap” program. “I really rate him.
I’m surprised Chelsea didn’t sign him. Tottenham might not have wanted to sell him to Chelsea, but I’m still surprised.”
Neville believes Romero’s style would have suited Chelsea’s defensive structure, particularly if they were to operate with three centre-backs.
“I think he would be a perfect fit for Chelsea; he’s the kind of aggressive centre-back needed for a back-three system. I can’t imagine why they didn’t get him.”
Ian Wright agreed that the move could have worked well for both player and club.
“Chelsea would have been a great fit for him.”
Neville then compared Enzo with a number of midfielders who moved clubs during the summer transfer window. He said the Chelsea midfielder had a stronger case than the other players in that group, based partly on his experience at the highest level.
“I think Enzo is stronger than the other midfielders who completed transfers this summer,” Neville continued.
“Is he stronger than Elliot Anderson? I think it’s highly likely; he’s been tested in more major competitions. I also think he is better than Matheus Nunes, Tonali, and Guimaraes.
Manchester City signed a top midfielder, didn’t they?
And looking at Manchester UnitedTielemans, Baleba, Santosamong all the midfielders who completed transfers, Enzo is the strongest.”
Neville’s comments place both Chelsea’s decision over Romero and Enzo’s standing among summer midfield recruits at the centre of his assessment. His view is that Chelsea overlooked a defender whose aggression would have complemented a back-three system, while Enzo’s experience in major competitions gives him an advantage over several other midfielders.
The discussion also considered the quality of Manchester City’s midfield signing and the players associated with Manchester United, including Tielemans, Baleba and Santos. However, Neville maintained that Enzo remained the strongest option among the midfielders who completed transfers during the summer.
Tottenham’s potential reluctance to sell Romero to Chelsea was identified by Neville as one possible reason the deal did not happen, although he said that did not remove his surprise that the transfer failed to materialise.
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