Cristian Romero is poised to join Atletico Madrid after the Spanish side agreed to pay £34million for the Tottenham captain. Romero has attracted interest from Arsenal, Inter Milan and Barcelona, but will join Diego Simeone's side this summer.
Interest from Arsenal and Inter Milan
The 28-year-old has always appeared likely to leave Spurs this summer following the arrivals of Marcos Senesi and John Paul van Hecke from Bournemouth and Brighton respectively. His availability has sparked plenty of interest, with Tottenham's north London rivals Arsenal even contacting his representatives to discuss the possibility of the most controversial transfer in recent Premier League history.
Inter Milan appeared to be the other most likely destination for the Argentina international. The Italian giants have agreed a £34m fee with Spurs, but not personal terms with the centre-back.
Atletico Madrid the perfect fit
Atletico Madrid always seemed like the perfect fit for Romero, whose playing style suits his compatriot and soon-to-be manager Diego Simeone. Almost everything has now been agreed, according to reports in Spain, and the deal will go ahead.
The deal will bring to a close the possibility of him following in the footsteps of Sol Campbell and William Gallas by moving between Arsenal and Tottenham. The Gunners enquired about his availability in their search for defensive reinforcements following the news that William Saliba will miss the start of the season due to a back injury.
Arsenal have also been linked with Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa and Barcelona's Jules Kounde. And a move for Kounde could rely on Tottenham, with Barcelona reportedly targeting Spurs' Pedro Porro as their preferred replacement for the Frenchman.
Romero's future and Spurs' summer spending
Romero was handed the captain's armband and signed a new four-year contract with Spurs last summer. Speaking on the weekend, manager Roberto De Zerbi kept his cards close to his chest, insisting Romero was still planning to return to Spurs following an extended break after the World Cup.
"I texted with Cuti yesterday to make a plan for when he comes back to London," De Zerbi told reporters in Sydney. "[I did not speak to him about] the transfer market. That's not my job. I know there are many solutions in the transfer market."
Tottenham have invested heavily in the summer transfer window after narrowly escaping relegation to the Championship. Van Hecke and Senesi have been joined by big-money moves for Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, while Andy Robertson has also arrived on a free transfer.
While money has been banked through the departures of Luka Vuskovic, Will Lankshear and Manor Solomon, Spurs still need some more departures, like Romero, to balance the books.
