Atletico Madrid agree £34.2m deal to sign Tottenham centre-back Cristian Romero

Atletico Madrid have agreed a £34.2m (40m euros) fee to sign Tottenham centre-back Cristian Romero, the transfer announced on 12 August 2026; the 28-year-old is set to become Atletico's fourth signing of the summer.

Romero joined Tottenham from Atalanta in 2021, initially on loan, and was later signed permanently in a £42.5m deal; he leaves Spurs after five seasons having made 156 appearances and scored 13 goals, and the club say he became a key figure in their defence.

The Argentina international played in his country’s run to the World Cup final this summer, missing just one match, and was given extra time off after the tournament in North America before being due to return to Tottenham’s pre-season in the coming week; he captained the side last season as Tottenham narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League.

As part of the agreement, Tottenham will retain a 15 per cent sell-on clause, and the move comes after reported interest from Premier League champions Arsenal in recent days, a transfer Tottenham did not want to make to their north London rivals.

Tottenham supporters face further change with Djed Spence reported to be the subject of advanced talks with Inter Milan over a £25.6m (30m euros) move, while Atletico have already added midfielders Kang-in Lee and Morten Hjulmand plus left-back Alejandro Grimaldo this summer.

Head coach Diego Simeone is seeking to strengthen Atletico’s squad after they finished fourth in La Liga last season, with Villarreal finishing third above them.

If the Romero transfer is completed, Atletico’s summer expenditure will take them past the £100m mark.