Tottenham captain Cristian Romero has completed a £34.2m transfer to Atletico Madrid, signing a five-year contract with the Spanish club.
Tottenham will retain a 15% sell-on clause as part of the agreement, which brings the Argentina international’s five-year spell in north London to an end.
Atletico Madrid have admired Romero for a long time and Tottenham were expected to consider his departure this summer if an acceptable offer was made. The 28-year-old central defender was understood to favour a move to Atletico, while Inter Milan and Tottenham’s north London rivals Arsenal had also shown interest.
Romero’s contract with Tottenham had been due to run until the summer of 2029.
His final season at the club was unsettled. Romero was sent off twice during Tottenham’s Premier League relegation battle and later missed the closing stages of the campaign because of a knee injury.
He also faced criticism from supporters after appearing likely to watch his boyhood club Belgrano play River Plate in the Argentina Primera Division Apertura final, rather than attend Tottenham’s crucial final match against Everton. Romero ultimately did attend the game.
In a farewell message posted on Instagram on Friday, Romero said he had fulfilled his ambition of making his mark on Tottenham’s history as captain of the team that ended the club’s 17-year wait for a trophy.
“Today, I say goodbye to a place that, for five seasons, was much more than a club. It was my home, my challenge and the place where my family and I built such an important part of our lives.
“I leave with a heart full of memories and enormous pride for everything we lived and achieved together.
“When I arrived, I had a clear dream: to leave my name in this club’s history. I knew the only way was through hard work, sacrifice and achieving something that had seemed so difficult for so long: lifting a trophy again. And we did it.”
“The journey wasn’t perfect, but I don’t want that to define my goodbye. I choose to remember the happy moments, the lessons, the people who stood by me and, above all, the love I received during these five years.
“Thank you to everyone at the club who shared this journey with me. Coaches, team-mates, staff and every person working behind the scenes you are all part of my story and have a place in my heart.”
Romero joined Tottenham’s leadership group and became captain during a period that included the club’s Europa League success. However, his performances and commitment were questioned at times, particularly after public comments about the board and uncertainty surrounding his availability for the final match of last season.
Sky Sports News journalist Michael Bridge said the transfer represented the right outcome for Tottenham and the defender.
“No.
“Even announcing the move before the club have announced it, it’s Romero.
“On his day he was one of the best centre-backs in the world but those days came against Ecuador, Peru on international duty.
“There’s nothing wrong with being proud to play for your nation but there was too many times it was a chore playing for Spurs.
“He posted a few public comments about the board, which you can’t do. He was a key part of winning the Europa League but there was that final day saga about whether will he or won’t he watch his team try to avoid relegation.
“The time was right for him to move.”
