Atletico agree £34.2m deal for Tottenham's Romero

Atletico Madrid have reached an agreement to sign Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero for a fee of £34.2m, or 40m euros, according to the latest reports. The 28-year-old Argentine international is expected to be the club's fourth signing of the summer transfer window. Tottenham Hotspur, on the other hand, will maintain a 15% sell-on clause in the deal.

The news of Romero's potential move to Atletico will undoubtedly be a significant blow to Spurs fans, as they are also in advanced talks to sign Inter Milan's England full-back Djed Spence for £25.6m. With the addition of midfielders Kang-in Lee and Morten Hjulmand, as well as left-back Alejandro Grimaldo, Atletico is on track to surpass the £100m mark in transfer spending this summer, should they manage to finalize Romero's transfer.

Former Atalanta captain Romero's move to Atletico concludes his five-year tenure at Tottenham, during which he made 156 appearances and scored 13 goals. He had an impressive run with Argentina during the recent World Cup, where they reached the final, only missing one game. Romero was set to return to Tottenham for pre-season training, which was extended due to his participation in the tournament.

The Argentina international had previously signed a permanent deal with Atalanta in a £42.5m transfer, which marked the beginning of his crucial role in the club's defensive setup. The news of Romero's potential departure will certainly be a disappointing one for Spurs supporters, as they also await the outcome of the Spence transfer.