Tottenham's Cristian Romero Joins Atletico Madrid for £34.2 Million

Cristian Romero’s time at Tottenham is over. The club confirmed on Saturday morning that their captain has completed a £34.2million move to Atletico Madrid, ripping a sizeable leadership hole out of Roberto De Zerbi’s dressing room just weeks before the new season.

“We have reached agreement with Atletico Madrid for the transfer of Cristian Romero,” Spurs announced. The statement underlined his impact since arriving from Atalanta in 2021, describing how “Cuti” became a cornerstone of the side that lifted the UEFA Europa League in 2024/25 and was rewarded with the armband for the 2025/26 campaign.

Romero made 32 appearances in all competitions last season, taking his total to 156 games for the club. Tottenham’s farewell was brief but pointed: “We wish Cuti all the best for the future.”

Now De Zerbi must choose a new captain and, just as importantly, piece together a new defence.

Inter move closes in for Spence

Romero is unlikely to be the only defender walking out of the door. A second departure is close, with Djed Spence on the verge of joining Inter.

The full-back was photographed in Milan earlier in the week as the Serie A champions tied up a deal worth around £25.6million. Gazzetta reported that Spence has passed his medical and signed a contract running to 2031. He is expected to return to London briefly to complete work permit formalities before the move is finally rubber-stamped.

Once that is done, Tottenham’s back line will look very different to the one that finished last season. The club hierarchy, though, have already lined up the next phase.

Spurs eye attacking reinforcements

With Romero gone and Spence set to follow, Spurs are ready to pivot towards the top end of the pitch. The recruitment focus is moving to the attack, with the club linked to Folarin Balogun, Cody Gakpo and Savinho as they search for extra firepower.

Savinho, in particular, has been a prominent name on Tottenham’s radar throughout the summer window. The Brazilian winger has emerged as a key target as De Zerbi looks to inject more pace and unpredictability into his front line.

While speculation around his future grows, his current club have their own immediate concerns.

Savinho ill on eve of Community Shield

Savinho was absent on Thursday as his team-mates continued preparations for Sunday’s Community Shield clash with Arsenal in Cardiff. His omission instantly raised eyebrows given the ongoing transfer noise.

Initial reports suggested the winger was unwell. That was confirmed by City boss Enzo Maresca at his pre-Arsenal press conference on Friday.

“Yesterday he was not part of the session,” Maresca said. “He was a bit ill. We’ll see today, the session is in the afternoon, we’ll see how it is and we’ll decide.”

For now, Savinho’s availability for the Community Shield hangs on that assessment. For Tottenham, the question is different: how quickly can they turn a summer of defensive exits into an attacking rebuild that keeps pace with their ambitions?