Atletico Madrid have agreed a deal in principle to sign Argentina defender Cristian Romero from Tottenham Hotspur in a package worth about £34.2m (€40m), according to Sky Sports.
The proposed transfer includes add-ons and a 15% sell-on clause that would allow Tottenham to receive a share of any future fee for the 28-year-old.
Romero is expected to leave Tottenham after five seasons in north London, despite having a contract at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that runs until 2029. Atletico Madrid have been long-term admirers of the defender and Tottenham were expected to consider offers for him this summer if the appropriate proposal arrived.
The agreement is understood to be worth around £34.2m including the additional payments. The inclusion of the sell-on provision means Spurs would retain a financial interest in Romero after his departure.
Romero joined Tottenham and has made 124 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring 12 goals. He has also been sent off four times in the Premier League during his spell in north London.
The defender was dismissed twice last season while Tottenham were involved in a relegation battle. His campaign ended prematurely when he suffered a knee injury, ruling him out for the closing stages of the season.
Sky Sports report that Romero preferred a move to Atletico Madrid. Inter Milan and Tottenham’s north London rivals Arsenal were also among the clubs interested in signing him.
The proposed transfer comes after Romero faced criticism from some Tottenham supporters during the final part of last season. He had appeared likely to watch his boyhood club Belgrano play River Plate in the Argentina Primera Division Apertura final instead of attending Tottenham’s important final-day meeting with Everton.
Romero did eventually attend the match against Everton, where Tottenham secured Premier League survival.
Atletico Madrid and Tottenham have now reached an agreement in principle, with the deal still structured around add-ons and the sell-on clause. If completed, the move will bring Romero’s five-year association with Spurs to an end and see him return to Spain, where Atletico will become his next club.