Atletico Madrid willing to make better Cristian Romero offer as Diego Simeone demands centre-back but La Liga side still fall short of Tottenham asking price

According to a report by AS, Atletico Madrid want to go all out for Spurs defender Cristian Romero to strengthen their defensive third; however, the London-based club has set an asking price of €70 million (£60m/$82m) for the player, who has two more years in his contract. The Rojiblancos are eager to pay €55m (£47m/$65m) and another €15m (£13m/$18m) in variables.

Atletico have been in contact with Spurs for some time regarding Romero’s transfer. However, they understand that a deal of such stature requires time and money, since they consider Romero to be a cornerstone for their project under Simeone. While Spurs’ asking price is greater than what the Rojiblancos are willing to offer, a breakthrough could be expected this week. In case the deal sees daylight, this would be another fruitful addition to Simeone’s side after Matteo Ruggeri, Johnny Cardoso and Alex Baena, who completed his medicals today.

Romero joined Spurs on a permanent transfer in 2022 after spending the previous season on loan from Atalanta. Last season, he went on to win the Europa League, defeating Manchester United in the final. The 27-year-old also won the World Cup with Argentina in 2022.

Atletico consider Romero to be a proven player; thus, if Spurs are satisfied with the Rojiblancos’ offer, he would embark on a new adventure, his first in Spain.