Cristian Romero has said his goodbyes to Tottenham Hotspur, confirming his departure from the club ahead of an official announcement from Atletico Madrid. The Argentina captain posted a heartfelt message on Instagram, marking the end of a five-season spell in north London.

Atletico Madrid have agreed a fee of approximately £34.2m (€40m) for the central defender, with Tottenham Hotspur retaining a 15 percent sell-on clause. The deal represents a financial loss for Spurs, who signed Romero from Atalanta for around £42m in the summer of 2021.

Romero's farewell message

In his Instagram post, Romero described Tottenham Hotspur as far more than a club during his time there. "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," he wrote.

The 28-year-old spoke of the pride he felt in lifting silverware with the club. "When I arrived, I had a clear dream: to leave my name in this club's history. I knew the only way was through hard work, sacrifice and achieving something that had seemed so difficult for so long: lifting a trophy again. And we did it," he added.

Romero, who captained Tottenham Hotspur to end a 17-year trophy drought, also paid tribute to coaches, team-mates, and behind-the-scenes staff, saying each of them holds a place in his heart.

A complicated final chapter at Spurs

Romero's time at Tottenham Hotspur ended under a cloud of controversy. He was sent off twice last season as the club battled Premier League relegation, and he missed the closing weeks of the campaign through a knee injury. He also drew criticism when he appeared set to watch his boyhood club Belgrano face River Plate in the Argentina Primera Division Apertura final instead of attending Tottenham Hotspur's decisive match against Everton — though he ultimately did appear at the game.

Over five seasons, Romero made 124 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur, scoring 12 goals and collecting four Premier League red cards.

Pundits split on Spurs' business

Sky Sports News reporter Michael Bridge questioned the fee Tottenham Hotspur are receiving, pointing out that teenage defender Luka Vuskovic — who made no competitive appearances for the club — fetched a club-record £50m from Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this summer. "Spurs are not going to get the value for a player of his ability," Bridge said.

Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jamie O'Hara was blunter in his assessment. "He's a bit of a liability. When he plays, he costs us games, points and red cards," O'Hara said. He also pointed to an incident at the end of last season, suggesting Romero's tears after his knee injury were more rooted in concern over his Argentina World Cup prospects than his club's fate. "Get as much as we can for him; let him move on," O'Hara concluded.

Sky Sports News senior football news editor Lyall Thomas indicated the move signals a cultural reset at the club. "It's time to move on from that era of Spurs and into the new era," he said, adding that the arrivals of Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi reflect the club's intent to rebuild both on and off the pitch.

Arsenal link and the road to Atletico

Atletico Madrid have long been admirers of Romero, and the Argentine was always reported to prefer a move to the Spanish club over other options. Arsenal were among the sides to have registered interest, with one source telling Sky Sports News that the north London rivals had explored Romero as a defensive option — though talks never advanced beyond that stage. Tottenham Hotspur were reluctant to sell to a Premier League club, and especially not to Arsenal. The last transfer between the two clubs took place 49 years ago, when goalkeeper Pat Jennings moved from Spurs to Arsenal for a reported £45,000.

O'Hara acknowledged that selling to Atletico Madrid rather than a Premier League club inevitably reduces the fee. "If we were selling him to Man Utd, we could probably get £60m-70m for him," he said. "But if you sell a player to Europe, they just don't have the money that the Premier League clubs have." Thomas, however, saw logic in the destination: "It's a move that suits Romero to go and work with his compatriot [Diego] Simeone. The planets are aligned on this one."