Cristian Romero to Atletico Madrid: Key clause 'revealed' as Tottenham Hotspur 'reach agreement' to sell defender

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly set to lose the services of club captain Cristian Romero this summer.

The highly rated Argentine defender has been heavily linked with a permanent departure from North London following a difficult domestic campaign.

Spurs narrowly avoided relegation to the Championship last season in what proved to be an incredibly turbulent period for the Premier League side.

Romero's future has long been uncertain, with the defender more or less falling out with the club in the last campaign, and the growing feeling that he was on his way out was effectively accepted.

Spanish heavyweights Atletico Madrid have now swooped in to secure his signature ahead of the upcoming European season.

Atletico agree 'in principle' deal for Romero

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Sky Sports News reports that Diego Simeone's side have successfully reached an agreement in principle to sign the 28-year-old World Cup winner.

The total financial package required to pry the South American away from the English capital is understood to be in the region of £34.2m.

Spurs are also believed to have crucially negotiated a 15% sell-on clause which will be activated upon any future transfer.

The player was always believed to prefer a switch to the Spanish capital despite concrete interest from Inter Milan and even North London rivals Arsenal.

Romero will subsequently depart the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after making 156 appearances and scoring 13 goals across five seasons.

Can Tottenham replace their departing captain before deadline day?

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The impending departure of Romero represents a massive transitional phase for a Tottenham squad desperately seeking defensive stability.

While the defender's final season was unfortunately marred by disciplinary issues, he accumulated two red cards before a severe knee injury abruptly ended his campaign.

The centre-back also attracted significant criticism from disgruntled supporters after seemingly prioritising a match involving his boyhood club over a crucial relegation clash against Everton.

However, his aggressive defensive qualities and undeniable leadership skills will be incredibly difficult to adequately replace in such a short timeframe.

Management must now act decisively to reinvest those generated funds into a reliable replacement before the transfer window officially closes.