Atletico agree £34.2m deal for Tottenham's Romero

What the report says

Atletico Madrid have reached agreement with Tottenham on a £34.2m fee for Cristian Romero, according to BBC Sport Football. The Argentina defender, 28, is expected to move to La Liga and become Atletico’s fourth signing of the summer. Tottenham are also understood to have secured a 15% sell-on clause in the deal.

Romero joined Spurs initially on loan from Atalanta in 2021 before making the transfer permanent, and he went on to make 156 appearances and score 13 goals for the club. BBC Sport Football reported that he captained Tottenham last season and was due back for pre-season after additional time off following his international commitments. The move comes after reported interest from Arsenal in recent days, although Tottenham were not willing to sell their captain to a north London rival.

The transfer would add to a busy summer for Atletico, who have already brought in several new players as Diego Simeone looks to strengthen after the club finished fourth in La Liga last season. The BBC also noted that Tottenham could lose another defender, with Djed Spence in advanced talks over a move to Inter Milan. For Spurs, Romero’s departure would remove a key defensive figure and a long-serving leader from the squad.