Atlético de Madrid closes the signing of Cuti Romero

Atlético de Madrid

The negotiations with the Tottenham were the last major outstanding point and have practically been resolved. The Atlético de Madrid had been working for days on a signing that Diego Pablo Simeone considers a priority, seeing in the world champion a reinforcement of the highest level for the Rojiblanco defence.

Romero already had agreed the terms to wear Rojiblanco. The centre-back would sign until 2030, with an option to extend for one more season, and would earn a salary close to six million euros per campaign. His willingness was key in helping the Madrid club speed up talks with the Spurs.

A priority centre-back for Simeone

Sporting direction, with Mateu Alemany at the helm, had identified the defensive line as one of the positions to strengthen after getting several exits over the line. In that scenario, the name of Cristian “Cuti” Romero gained momentum thanks to his experience, authority and fit with Simeone's competitive vision.

The Argentine international had also attracted interest from other clubs, including Inter de Milán, after the possibility of leaving Tottenham opened up. Atlético decided to move quickly to avoid losing ground in a deal that required financial and wage flexibility.

The departures of Matteo Ruggieri, Nahuel Molina and Thiago Almada would help the Rojiblanco club free up wage space and create room to take on an investment of this scale. The final figure of the agreement with Tottenham stands at between the 40 and 45 million euros, an amount the Spurs had been treating as the target to allow the centre-back to leave.