Atlético de Madrid sign Cuti Romero from Tottenham for around €40 million

Deal completed

Atlético de Madrid have signed Argentine centre-back Cristian 'Cuti' Romero from Tottenham Hotspur on a five-year contract running until 30 June 2031. The transfer fee is around €40 million, with one report breaking it down as €33 million plus €7 million in variables. The Press Association, cited by Europa Press, reported that the deal includes a 15% sell-on clause for Tottenham on any future sale. Romero becomes the fourth arrival of the summer for Diego Simeone's squad, following Kang-In Lee (€35M from Paris Saint-Germain), Morten Hjulmand (€40M plus €5M in variables from Sporting CP) and Alejandro Grimaldo (from Bayer Leverkusen). Atlético had pursued Romero last summer, but Tottenham's financial demands made the move impossible at that time.

Cuti Romero40

Morten Hjulmand40

Kang-In Lee35

Cuti Romero

40 €M

Morten Hjulmand

40 €M

Kang-In Lee

35 €M

Data from the article text

Timeline of the signing

After an initial agreement between the two clubs, Romero travelled to Madrid on Thursday 13 August to undergo a medical examination on Friday 14 August and sign his contract. He posted his farewell to Tottenham on social media that Friday, and Atlético officially announced the deal on the morning of Saturday 15 August.

Romero's farewell

On Friday 14 August, Romero published a farewell message on Instagram and X addressing his five years at Tottenham.

“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 experienced and achieved together.”

He referenced winning the Europa League in 2025 as the fulfilment of a dream to leave his mark on the club's history, adding that he chose to remember the happy moments and the people who supported him.

Career and international record

Born in Córdoba, Argentina, on 27 April 1998, Romero began his professional career at Club Atlético Belgrano, debuting in August 2016. He moved to Europe with Genoa, then signed for Juventus in summer 2019, with loans to Genoa (2019-20), Atalanta (2020-21) and Tottenham (2021-22) before joining the London club permanently. Across five seasons at Spurs he played 156 matches, scored 13 goals and provided 7 assists, winning the 2024-25 Europa League, where he was named best player of both the competition and the final. With Argentina, he has 58 caps and four goals since his debut in 2021, winning the 2022 World Cup, the Copa América in 2021 and 2024, the Finalissima, and finishing as a finalist at the 2026 World Cup against Spain.

Squad composition

At Atlético, Romero will join three Argentine teammates: goalkeeper Juan Musso, winger Giuliano Simeone and striker Julián Álvarez. The club has also seen several departures this summer: Thiago Almada to River Plate, Nahuel Molina to Roma, Clément Lenglet to Benfica and Antoine Griezmann to Orlando City, while Nico González returned to Juventus after his loan ended. Atlético are working on a permanent deal for González for a fee well below the €32 million purchase option that was not exercised.