Tottenham captain Cristian Romero has completed his move to Atletico Madrid, ending five seasons in north London in which he captained the side to a first trophy in 17 years, beating Manchester United in the 2025 Europa League final.
The deal is worth £34.2m and sees Romero sign a five-year contract at Atletico, with Tottenham retaining what is understood to be a 15 per cent sell-on clause. His contract at Tottenham had been due to run until 2029; he joined the club from Atalanta in the summer of 2021 for a reported fee of around £42m.
Atletico have been long-term admirers of the Argentina international, who was always believed to prefer a move there. Inter Milan and Tottenham's north London rivals Arsenal were also credited with interest, though it never advanced beyond informal contact. Tottenham had appeared to lay the groundwork for Romero's exit with the earlier signings of defenders Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi. At Atletico, Romero reunites with his compatriot Diego Simeone.
His final season at Tottenham was a difficult one. Romero was sent off twice during Spurs' Premier League relegation battle, then left the field in tears against Sunderland in April with a knee injury that ended his season. He also drew criticism from supporters after appearing set to miss Tottenham's last game of the season, away at Everton, in order to watch his boyhood club Belgrano play River Plate in the final of Argentina's Primera Division Apertura; he ultimately attended the Everton match, in which Spurs secured their Premier League survival. "I know I wasn't perfect," Romero said of the campaign. "But one thing gives me peace: I always gave everything. I defended this shirt with pride and with all my heart."