Tottenham have sold the captain for £34.2 million – but Romero took matters into his own hands.
Tottenham captain Cristian Romero has published an emotional statement on Instagram – where he confirms his move to Atlético Madrid.
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Spurs have agreed a transfer fee of £34.2 million for the Argentine centre-back. Romero also had interest from Inter Milan, but the Italians first had to sell Benjamin Pavard in order to sign the 28-year-old.
The Argentine has recently returned from the World Cup, where he helped Argentina to the final. But it has long been clear that he had already played his last game for Spurs.
De Zerbi: “I promised to help him leave”
Manager Roberto De Zerbi revealed in April that Romero had already told about his desire to leave the club.
“At the beginning of my time, in April, I had countless individual meetings,” he told the press.
“The players told me what they wanted. I said, “Yes, help me to sustain us—and I will help you go. If you do not help me, you will remain under water with me.”
“Today I say goodbye”
Despite the fact that Spurs have not yet announced the transfer, the captain himself chose to say goodbye in a long post on Instagram:
“Today I say goodbye to a place that for five seasons was much more than a club. It was my home, my challenge – and the place where my family and I built such an important part of our lives.”
“I leave with a heart full of memories and immense pride in everything we experienced and achieved together.”
“When I arrived, I had a clear dream: to put my name in the club’s history. I knew that the only way was through hard work, sacrifice, and achieving something that had seemed so difficult for so long: lifting a trophy again. And we did.”
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Thanking fans: “I always gave it my all”
Romero chose to remember the good moments, not the perfect ones.
“Thank you to everyone at the club who shared this journey with me. Coaches, teammates, staff and everyone who works behind the scenes – you are all part of my story and have a place in my heart.”
“And to the fans: Thank you for loving me, respecting me, and making me feel like one of you from day one. Thank you for every hug, every song, every flag, every applause – and for always being there.”
“I know I wasn’t perfect, but one thing gives me peace: I always gave it my all. I defended this shirt with pride and with all my heart.”
“I’m leaving the club – but a part of my heart will always stay here. Once I was one of you. Today I leave as one of you forever.”
Xavi Simons and Van de Ven responded immediately
Among the first to comment on the post were teammates Xavi Simons and Micky van de Ven.
Simons wrote: “Mi capitannnnnn” – my captain.
Spurs face Hoffenheim in a friendly on Saturday, but official confirmation from the club is still pending. Romero took matters into his own hands – and sent fans a farewell they will never forget.
