Deal imminent! Cuti Romero on the verge of joining Atlético

Cristian Romero is on the brink of a move to Atlético, with Madrid preparing a fresh official bid for Tottenham.

Details: Fabrizio Romano reports that negotiations have reached the final stage: the Argentine has given the green light to Los Colchoneros, and a new bid will be sent to Spurs in the coming hours. An interesting twist: Tottenham never really considered selling their captain to Arsenal, despite the Gunners’ genuine interest, while Barcelona—who dreamed of landing Romero after selling Araújo—completely shifted their focus to the Rodri deal and never submitted an offer.

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Atlético seized the initiative from Inter, who had previously agreed a €40 million deal with Spurs but failed to convince the player himself. Simeone’s Madrid project proved more persuasive: the sales of Molina to Roma and Almada to River Plate freed up funds, and Diego now gets a world-class defensive leader. For Tottenham, the loss of their captain is softened by the fact that Micky van de Ven has just signed a new long-term contract.

Romero has spent four seasons at Tottenham, won the Europa League with the club in 2025, and became the team’s captain. Last campaign, he made 32 appearances and scored 6 goals across all competitions, while at the 2026 World Cup he featured in 7 matches, netting once and providing an assist for Argentina. His contract with Spurs runs until 2029, and Transfermarkt values the World Cup winner at €50 million.

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