- Atlético Madrid Transfer News & Rumors
Diego Simeone has his long-desired defensive leader.
Cristian Romero is joining Atlético de Madrid after the club reached an agreement with Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, according to AS, Marca and other outlets.
First revealed by Argentina-based reporter Gastón Edul, Romero’s transfer to Atlético is all agreed and the player on Thursday will fly to Madrid, where he is expected to undergo a medical and sign a contract to 2031. The player’s agency has even teased the transfer on Instagram.
Romero had drawn interest from Inter Milan, FC Barcelona and even Spurs’ city rivals Arsenal. He could debut next Wednesday, when Atleti open the 2026/27 season at home to Málaga in LaLiga.
Sporting director Mateu Alemany has closed this deal for a fee of €40 million, including bonuses. Cadena SER reports that the price is €35 million fixed with another €5 million in variables, and Spurs will retain a 15 percent sell-on clause. The fee is in line with each of the other deals Alemany has concluded this summer, the exception being Alejandro Grimaldo’s €20 million move from Bayer Leverkusen.
Diego Simeone has long courted Romero, a 58-time Argentina international who led Spurs to a Europa League crown in 2025. Atleti attempted to sign him last year, but Spurs slapped an €80 million price tag on Romero and eventually renewed his contract to 2029 while naming him club captain. One summer later, after a turbulent campaign that saw Romero rip club management multiple times, Spurs are moving on — and Simeone is getting his top defensive target at last.
Following a 156-game Spurs career, Romero is expected to be the anchor of a refurbished defense at the Metropolitano. He can line up in a trio alongside Dávid Hancko and Marc Pubill to form a 3-5-2 where Grimaldo and Marcos Llorente would play as wing-backs. He can play in a four-man defense alongside either Hancko or Pubill; the other could slide over to full-back.
A commanding, decisive, aerially-dominant, old-school center-back with great anticipation, physical strength and ball-playing ability, Romero battled numerous injuries over his Spurs stint and missed 71 games over the past five seasons. However, when fit and available, the 28-year-old is among the world’s top central defenders. Spurs’ consecutive 17th-place finishes in the Premier League don’t look good on Romero’s CV — especially as he was club captain in 2025/26. But his role in helping Argentina to successive FIFA World Cup finals (with a victory in 2022) showcased his talent on a global stage.
There is no separating Romero’s discounted price tag from his injury and disciplinary records: without them, he would not be accessible to Atlético. As I’ve written already, this signing comes with risk and strings attached. It simply comes with the territory, given the aggression and the combativeness inherent to his playing style. But realistically, Romero is the best and most accomplished central defender that Atleti could have signed in this price range. The payoff could be transformative if he is healthy, focused and not frequently suspended for card accumulation.
- Atlético Madrid Transfer News & Rumors
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Source: Into The Calderon
