Cristian Romero completes €40m move from Tottenham to Atlético Madrid

• Cristian Romero has completed his transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to Atlético Madrid for an initial €35 million plus up to €5 million in add-ons.
• The Argentina international has signed a five-year contract with the LaLiga club after five seasons in north London.
• Romero leaves Spurs after 156 appearances and 13 goals, with his final season ending amid tensions with the club’s hierarchy.

Cristian Romero has completed his transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to Atlético Madrid, with the Premier League club confirming the Argentina international’s departure after five seasons in north London.

Sources told ESPN that Tottenham will receive €35 million from Atlético, with a further €5 million available in performance-related variables. Romero has signed a five-year contract with the Spanish club.

The 28-year-old confirmed his departure from Tottenham in an Instagram post on Friday, acknowledging that his time at the club was not always perfect but insisting Spurs would remain an important part of his career.

Romero initially joined Tottenham on loan from Atalanta in 2021 before making the move permanent. He went on to make 156 appearances for the club, scoring 13 goals and receiving six red cards.

The centre-back helped Tottenham qualify for the Champions League before becoming a key member of Argentina’s squad that won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

His relationship with Tottenham went through several stages during his time at the club.

After relations deteriorated with Antonio Conte, Romero developed a strong relationship with Ange Postecoglou and became increasingly vocal about what he viewed as a lack of ambition from the club’s hierarchy.

During an injury-hit 2024-25 campaign, Romero frequently criticised the direction of the club while Tottenham struggled for consistency.

He then played a central role in Tottenham’s European success in Bilbao, producing a series of outstanding performances as Spurs won their first major trophy in years.

The victory sparked celebrations across north London, with an estimated 200,000 supporters attending an open-top parade.

Postecoglou was dismissed weeks later, while Romero waited for the appointment of his successor, Thomas Frank, before paying tribute to the Australian coach and his achievements despite the difficulties he faced at Tottenham.

Romero was subsequently named Tottenham’s permanent captain for the 2025-26 season but endured a difficult campaign.

He served four separate suspensions and continued to voice criticism of the club’s hierarchy before a knee injury in April ended his season.

Tottenham were in the relegation battle at the time, leaving Romero’s future increasingly uncertain.

Further controversy followed during the final week of the campaign when Romero was allowed to travel to Argentina to continue his rehabilitation.

His absence prompted a backlash from supporters, although he returned to England in time to attend Tottenham’s 1-0 victory over Everton, a result that secured Premier League survival.

New head coach Roberto De Zerbi subsequently gave Romero permission to leave the club.

Romero will now begin a new chapter in Spain under Atlético coach Diego Simeone, ending a long-running association with the Madrid club.

Atlético had been linked with Romero for several transfer windows before completing the deal this summer.

Tottenham have already strengthened their central defensive options during the transfer window with the signings of Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke.

Romero’s departure leaves Spurs with a major defensive change as De Zerbi continues to reshape the squad ahead of the new Premier League season.