Cristian Romero's five years at Tottenham are over. Atletico Madrid have agreed a fee of £34.2m (€40m) to sign the Argentine centre-back, with Spurs retaining a 15% sell-on clause as part of the deal.
The 28-year-old becomes Diego Simeone's fourth signing of the summer as Atletico look to push past last season's fourth-place finish in La Liga.
Arsenal Wanted Him — Spurs Said No
Arsenal had made Romero a priority target this window, but Tottenham flatly refused to sell their captain to a direct north London rival. Atletico entered the picture shortly after, and talks moved quickly once Arsenal were ruled out.
Romero captained Argentina through this summer's World Cup, missing just one game as they reached the final before falling to Spain in extra time. He was due back in pre-season training this week after being given extra rest following the tournament.
Five Seasons, 156 Appearances
He arrived at Spurs on loan from Atalanta in 2021, with the move made permanent in 2022 for £42.5m. Over five seasons he made 156 appearances and scored 13 goals, and was handed the club captaincy after Son Heung-min left in 2025.
His relationship with supporters had its rough edges. At the end of last season, he flew to Argentina — to watch his boyhood club Belgrano face River Plate — before Tottenham's final game, when they were in danger of relegation. He came back in time to see them survive, but the episode wasn't forgotten.
Atletico's Summer Business
With Romero's arrival, Atletico will have spent over £100m this summer. They have also brought in midfielders Kang-in Lee and Morten Hjulmand, plus left-back Alejandro Grimaldo. Simeone is building for a title challenge next season.
Meanwhile at Spurs, full-back Djed Spence is in advanced talks to join Inter Milan for £25.6m, meaning two key defensive players are heading for the exit this summer.
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