Barcelona's Late Attempt Fails: Romero Commits to Atletico

The uncertainty over Cristian Romero's future is coming to an end. According to Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham's Argentine captain has given the green light to Atletico Madrid, with talks entering their final stages and the Madrid club expected to submit a new bid to Tottenham shortly. Romano wrote: "Cuti Romero and Atletico Madrid, deal close as new bid will be sent soon to Tottenham. Romero gave his green light to Atleti; talks enter final stages."

According to the report, Barcelona made a "futile" attempt in recent hours to change Romero's mind; however, the Argentine defender gave the Catalan club a clear "no," and while his departure from Tottenham is now certain, he has made his choice in favour of Atletico Madrid. It's emphasised that while Barcelona have made significant salary savings following Ronald Araujo's loan move to Liverpool, they have yet to submit a formal offer for Romero and remain focused on the Rodri deal as their priority.

According to the report, Atletico Madrid's opening €30 million bid to Tottenham was rejected, and the club is now preparing a new offer closer to €40 million. It's recalled that Inter had also previously shown interest in Romero, even reaching a club-to-club agreement with Tottenham worth around €40 million, though the deal collapsed after the Italian club failed to secure approval from its own hierarchy. With a contract running until 2029 and Tottenham seeking around €40 million for him, it's noted that a move to Arsenal was never considered by Tottenham due to their rivalry.

Source: Fabrizio Romano
Image: Dynamo Kiev UA