Tottenham have completed the sale of their captain Cristian Romero to Atlético Madrid after refusing to consider a move to Arsenal for the Argentina international.
Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that a full agreement is now in place between Tottenham and Atlético, with the Spanish club agreeing to pay a €40million package including add-ons for the defender.
🚨🔴⚪️ BREAKING: Cristian Romero to Atlético Madrid, HERE WE GO! 🇦🇷
Agreement in place between clubs with Tottenham at €40m package, add-ons included.
Inter deal off in July, Barcelona decided not to proceed days ago, Spurs were never gonna sell to Arsenal.
Atléti: done. 💥 pic.twitter.com/tovUQvOOEY
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 12, 2026
Romero had been one of Arsenal’s defensive targets this summer as Mikel Arteta looked to strengthen his options at centre-back.
However, a move to the Emirates was effectively impossible from the beginning, with Tottenham making it clear that they would not sell their captain directly to their north London rivals.
Romero will instead continue his career in La Liga after Atlético Madrid won the race for his signature.
READ MORE: Arsenal handed transfer boost with £6m deal officially announced
Romano confirmed that Atlético have now completed the deal, with the Argentine set to make the move to Diego Simeone’s side.
The transfer brings an end to Romero’s spell in north London, with the 28-year-old having established himself as one of Tottenham’s most important players and eventually taking on the captaincy.
For Arsenal, it represents another missed opportunity in their search for defensive reinforcements.
The Gunners have been exploring the market for a new centre-back, particularly with William Saliba facing a period on the sidelines, but Tottenham’s position on Romero meant there was never likely to be a straightforward deal between the two clubs.
Romano also revealed that Inter Milan had previously been involved in the race before their deal fell through in July, while Barcelona decided against proceeding with a move just days ago.
That left Atlético Madrid in pole position, and Simeone’s side have now got their man.
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The Spanish club will pay a €40m package for Romero, with add-ons included, bringing one of the summer’s most talked-about defensive transfers to a conclusion.
For Tottenham, the departure of their captain represents another significant change under their new regime.
For Arsenal, meanwhile, Romero’s move is another reminder of the difficulty involved in trying to recruit directly from their fiercest domestic rivals.
Spurs were never prepared to strengthen Arsenal by selling Romero to them.
Instead, they have now agreed to send their captain to Madrid.
And while Arsenal continue their search for defensive reinforcements, Romero will begin the next chapter of his career under Simeone at Atlético.