Atletico Madrid have agreed a transfer deal worth around €40 million (£34.2 million) including add-ons to sign Cristian Romero from Tottenham hot on the heels of the summer transfer window's busiest spells [1, 2, 3]. The 28-year-old defender, who has captained Tottenham since 2025, will reunite with Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid [1, 2, 3].
The deal includes a 15% sell-on clause for Tottenham on any future transfer of Romero, ensuring the London club will benefit from his next move [1, 2, 4]. Romero joined Tottenham in August 2021 on loan from Atalanta before the permanent move was made for £42.5 million [1, 5, 3]. Over five seasons, he made 156 appearances and scored 13 goals for the club [1, 5, 2, 4].
Romero led Tottenham to their first trophy since 2008 by captaining the side to victory in the 2024-25 Europa League, earning UEFA's Player of the Season award for the competition [6, 5, 7, 4, 3]. But the 2025-26 season was tumultuous for Romero, as he faced multiple suspensions, battled knee injuries that caused him to miss the final six Premier League games, and dealt with tensions both on and off the pitch amid a relegation struggle [5, 2, 4].
In farewell messages posted on social media around August 14-15, Romero expressed gratitude to Tottenham, teammates, managers, staff, and fans. "I leave with a heart full of memories and enormous pride for everything we lived and achieved together," he wrote, adding, "Once I was one of you. Today, I leave as one of you forever" [6, 7, 4]. He also acknowledged imperfections but stated, "I always gave everything. I defended this shirt with pride and with all my heart" [5].
Atletico Madrid’s summer spending is expected to surpass £100 million with Romero’s signing included [1]. Tottenham face more departures as England full-back Djed Spence is also likely to move to Inter Milan for around £25.6 million [1].
Romero officially confirmed his departure from Tottenham and his move to Atletico Madrid on August 15, 2026 [4].
