Club Brugge is about to sign Argentinian defender Zaid Romero for a fee between 5.5 and 6 million euros.
The new Director of Sports, Dévy Rigaux, has successfully halved the transfer price. Romero, a left-footed central defender with an aggressive playing style, promises to be a valuable addition to Club Brugge.
With his imposing stature of 1.95 m, he brings physical strength, leadership and the Argentine DNA to the defense.
The search for a central defender started on July 15 last year
It is an open secret that Club Brugge has been looking for reinforcements in the heart of the defense for some time now. The search for a new central defender started on July 15 last year, when Abakar Sylla left for RC Strasbourg.
Several internal discussions were held about strengthening the central defense. According to The last news Vincent Mannaert, together with the entire board of the club, had already urged then coach Ronny Deila in June to strengthen the defense.
An additional central defender was highly recommended, but according to the newspaper, Deila preferred to spend the last remaining part of the transfer budget on the arrival of Philip Zinckernagel.
In the winter mercato no ideal candidate was found to strengthen the central defense, but one will most likely be found in the coming summer mercato.
Both The newspapaer as The last newsas well as various Argentinian media, report that Zaid Romero (24) is on his way to Club Brugge.
Wild move by Rigaux: transfer price drops by half
Club Brugge is about to transfer an amount between 5.5 and 6 million euros to Estudiantes for the central defender, who with his imposing stature of 1.95 cm will become the first Argentine in the club’s history.
This move marks the new reign of the new Director of Sports, Dévy Rigaux, who will immediately deploy his extensive network in South America. Rigaux has managed to reduce the price considerably, as Estudiantes originally asked almost 12 million euros for the player.
According to The newspapaer negotiations with Romero are in full swing and the transfer is almost complete. This deal allows Club Brugge to outpace other clubs such as Boca Juniors, Palmeiras and Besiktas.
On the other hand, the sale of Romero promises to be a complex affair for Estudiantes. This is because the Argentinians only own 60% of Romero’s transfer rights, the remaining 40% is divided between Liga Deportiva and Godoy Cruz, Romero’s two previous clubs.
Romero is a guarantee for a lot of aggressiveness
Zaid Romero, a left-footed central defender, embodies the typical Argentine profile. He is known for his strength on the ball and in duels, with an aggressive playing style.
“Zaid guarantees us a lot of aggressiveness,” said Estudiantes coach Eduardo Domínguez.
The Argentine DNA includes an enormous fighting spirit, grinta, where players always play with the knife between their teeth. In Argentina such a playing style is considered normal, but in Belgium Romero will have to find the right balance in his game.
Gaston Avila, former player of Argentinian descent at Antwerp FC, for example, sometimes played a little too fiercely by Belgian standards during his time at the Bosuil, often going over the edge with his hard play.
With his imposing stature of 1.95m, Romero would bring Club Brugge a good dose of physical strength and stature, making him the tallest defender in the squad.
He is also known for his ability to read the game well, and his ability to anticipate makes up for his slightly slower starting speed.
