Atletico Madrid close to £34m signing of Tottenham captain Romero

Atletico Madrid are close to finalising a £34 million transfer for Tottenham captain Cristian Romero, with coach Diego Simeone driving the pursuit, as reported at 19:34 BST on 10 August 2026. The clubs remain a few million apart on the fixed fee, and the bonus structure is still to be settled.

Fee gap and bonuses

The two sides are understood to be negotiating a small difference on the fixed component of the fee, while the performance‑related bonuses have yet to be agreed. Both parties have signalled willingness to bridge the gap, keeping the deal alive despite the remaining financial details.

Coach influence and player preference

Diego Simeone’s pull is reported as the decisive factor, with Romero preferring Atletico over the other suitors that have been linked with him. The Argentine defender has been linked with Inter Milan, Arsenal and Barcelona, but the coach’s reputation appears to have tipped the balance.

Arsenal reportedly contacted Romero’s agents to discuss a possible move, yet Tottenham claim they were unaware of the Gunners’ interest and would refuse to sell their captain to their north‑London rivals. The club also dismissed any notion of a transfer to Inter Milan, despite the Italian side having agreed a £34 million fee.

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Tottenham have reinforced their back line this window, adding Marcos Senesi on a free transfer and John Paul van Hecke for £52 million, leaving Romero free to depart for the right price. Roberto De Zerbi’s squad is now well stocked, and selling the captain to Arsenal would be deemed completely unacceptable by Spurs fans.

Atletico are simultaneously handling the sale of defender Nahuel Molina to Roma, with the player arriving in Italy ahead of completing his £14.5 million move. In a related deal, Aston Villa are finalising a £16 million transfer for Atletico left‑back Matteo Ruggeri.

Romero, an Argentine who arrived at Tottenham from Atalanta five years ago, featured prominently for Lionel Scaloni’s side that beat England in the World Cup semi‑final before losing 1‑0 to Spain in the final. After the final he famously snubbed the US President, walking past him to join his teammates, a moment that attracted worldwide attention.