Cristian Romero remains Atletico Madrid priority as Argentine defender prepares to snub Tottenham contract offer

Romero has emerged as Atletico Madrid’s top defensive priority this summer, with the Argentine defender reportedly prepared to reject a lucrative contract extension from Tottenham. Despite Spurs' offer to make Romero their highest-paid player and the promise of a key role, the 27-year-old is pushing to join Diego Simeone’s project at the Wanda Metropolitano. According to AS, Atletico have submitted a bid worth €55 million (£47m/$61m) plus €15m (£12m/$17m) in add-ons, but Tottenham remain firm in their €70m (£60m/$81m) valuation.

Rojiblancos are undergoing a major rebuild following their early exit from the Club World Cup and a squad reliant on players over the age of 30. Meanwhile, Simeone is determined to rejuvenate the team with high-calibre, battle-ready talent, not backups or stopgap solutions, and Romero is viewed as a perfect fit for his aggressive and intense system. The club have already signed creative midfielder Alex Baena and want Romero to be the defensive leader of a new cycle aimed at overtaking Barcelona and Real Madrid in the league.

Julian Alvarez, who joined Atletico from Manchester City last year, has openly endorsed the move, expressing hope that Romero will follow him to the Spanish capital. He said recently: “I hope it happens. He's a great player, one of the best centre-backs in the world, for me. A national teammate and a great person. This great addition would help the team a lot.”

Negotiations between Atletico and Tottenham are expected to continue in the coming days, as the Spanish side attempt to structure a deal closer to Spurs’ demands through performance-related add-ons. If successful, Romero would become the most expensive defender in Atletico’s history.