Atletico hold talks with Spurs captain Romero

What the report says

Atletico Madrid have held talks over a possible move for Tottenham captain Cristian Romero, according to BBC Sport Football. The Argentina defender, who joined Spurs from Atalanta in 2021 and signed a new four-year contract last August, is expected to leave Tottenham this summer. BBC Sport also reported that Inter Milan are among the clubs showing interest, while Atletico manager Diego Simeone is understood to remain keen on bringing the centre-back to Spain.

Tottenham are said to be aware of Atletico’s interest, and the report says agreeing personal terms should not be a major obstacle. Romero, 28, remains a prominent international player and was part of Argentina’s run to the World Cup final, which the article says ended in defeat to Spain.

The move comes after a difficult season for Romero at Spurs. He missed the closing stages of the campaign because of a knee injury, and BBC Sport noted that he was sent off twice as Tottenham finished 17th but avoided relegation on the final day. The article also said Spurs boss Roberto de Zerbi recently indicated he would respect players’ wishes if they wanted to leave.

BBC Sport added that Tottenham centre-back Micky van de Ven is close to agreeing a new five-year deal, suggesting the club could be preparing for changes in defence this summer.