Romero confirms Spurs exit ahead of Atletico Madrid move
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- Cristian Romero confirmed his Tottenham departure on Instagram ahead of Atletico Madrid's expected announcement, ending a five-year spell in which he made 124 appearances, scored 12 goals, and captained the side.
- Atletico Madrid agreed a deal worth approximately £34.2m (€40m) for the 28-year-old Argentina defender, with Tottenham retaining a 15 per cent sell-on clause.
- Tottenham are set to take a financial loss on Romero, having signed him from Atalanta for around £42m in 2021 — and will receive less than the club-record £50m Brighton paid for unproven teenage defender Luka Vuskovic earlier this summer.
- Romero had two Premier League red cards last season during Spurs' relegation battle, missed the end of the campaign with a knee injury, and drew fan criticism when he appeared set to attend an Argentine domestic cup final instead of Tottenham's final-day game against Everton.
- Arsenal explored Romero as a centre-back option earlier this month, but talks never progressed, with Spurs unwilling to sell to their fiercest rivals — the clubs have not negotiated a transfer in 49 years.
- Spurs moved to replace Romero by signing defenders Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi, with Sky Sports' Lyall Thomas framing the exit as the start of a 'new era' at the club.
- Diego Simeone's Atletico land a long-admired Argentina international; Jamie O'Hara told Sky Sports: 'He just feels like an Atletico Madrid player. I just feel like you've just got to take that one on the chin.'
Why it matters: Spurs will take a loss on the £42m they paid Atalanta for Romero in 2021, selling their captain for £34.2m — less than Brighton paid for unproven teenager Vuskovic. The fee gap reflects the Premier League premium, as pundit O'Hara noted: European clubs 'just don't have the money.' Spurs' defensive rebuild via Van Hecke and Senesi, combined with Arsenal's interest being shut down, signals a clean break from the Romero era and a deliberate squad reset.
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