Atlético Madrid have confirmed the signing of Cristian Romero from Tottenham on a five-year deal.
Captain Romero announced his departure from Spurs with an Instagram post on Friday night, where he admitted to not always being “perfect” in North London but insisted the club will always hold a place in his heart.
World Cup winner Romero inspired Tottenham to Europa League success in 2025 to end a 17-year trophy drought, but exits after collecting six red cards in 156 appearances and for an overall fee of 40 million euros (£34.1million), with a 15 per cent sell-on clause included in the deal.
Romero said on Instagram: “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.
“I am leaving the club, but a part of my heart will always remain here.
“Once I was one of you. Today, I leave as one of you forever.”
Romero joined Spurs in 2021 and helped the club qualify for the Champions League before he starred as Argentina won the World Cup in Qatar.
After relations soured with Antonio Conte, he built up a strong rapport with Ange Postecoglou and, during an injury-hit 2024-25 campaign for Spurs where pressure mounted on his head coach, Romero fired frequent thinly veiled digs at the board over a perceived lack of ambition.
However, in Tottenham’s time of need, Romero showed his ability with a string of outstanding displays to inspire the north London club to European success in Bilbao.
Wild celebrations followed, with an estimated 200,000 fans on the streets of Tottenham for an open-top bid parade but Postecoglou was sacked weeks later and Romero waited for successor Thomas Frank to be announced before he paid tribute to his old boss for his achievements “despite the obstacles that will always exist”.
It set the tone for a chaotic 2025-26 season where despite Romero being named permanent captain, the Argentinian struggled.
Romero served four different suspension and was critical of Spurs hierarchy several times before a knee injury in April curtailed his season with the club in the relegation zone.
A final nail in the coffin for many supporters was Romero’s actions in the final week of the campaign after he was allowed to fly to Argentina to continue his rehabilitation.
It sparked a backlash from fans and even though Romero got a flight back to be present to watch the 1-0 win over Everton which secured Premier League survival, new boss Roberto De Zerbi gave the 28-year-old the green light to move on and he will finally work under compatriot Diego Simeone at Atletico after years of links to the LaLiga club.
