Tottenham defender Cristian Romero joins Atletico Madrid for £34.2m
Argentina defender Cristian Romero has completed a £34.2m transfer to Atletico Madrid, ending a five-year spell at Tottenham Hotspur.
The South American centre-back leaves north London after captaining the side during a tumultuous recent campaign.
His departure follows a challenging domestic season where his injury absences hindered the club as they narrowly avoided top-flight relegation.
The international stalwart also recently suffered heartbreak on the global stage, losing 1-0 to Spain in the World Cup final in New Jersey.
Spurs reshape defence under De Zerbi
The combative defender played his final match for Spurs in April, suffering a 1-0 defeat against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
That fixture marked Roberto De Zerbi’s inaugural game at the helm of the north London club.
Tottenham have already moved to rebuild their backline by securing Micky van de Ven to a new long-term contract alongside the arrivals of Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi.
The former Atalanta man will now link up with compatriot Diego Simeone in the Spanish capital.
‘My home and my challenge’
In an emotional social media post, the outgoing captain expressed deep gratitude to the supporters who embraced him.
“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.”
Focusing on happy memories
The 26-year-old acknowledged that his tenure was not entirely flawless but chose to focus on the positive milestones, including lifting a trophy.
“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 for every hug, every song, every flag, every applause and for always being there. I know I wasn’t perfect, but one thing gives me peace: I always gave everything.”