Former Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy reportedly had a 'gentleman's agreement' with Cristian Romero, who has previously clashed with the hierarchy, to leave the club. The Spurs captain, who signed a bumper new contract last summer, had a pact with the Levy to let him join Spanish teams if a significant proposal was received, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Reports claimed that pact included a €60million release clause for Atletico Madrid as well as Barcelona and Real Madrid. However, Romano has claimed that it was 'never fixed' at €60m and was not written in paper. Since that agreement was made between the player and Levy, it is no longer valid given the ex-chairman's Spurs departure earlier this season.
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Romero has previously expressed his desire to play in La Liga, telling TyC Sports: "La Liga is the one [league] left to play in. I would love to, to tell you the truth. I would love to play there because it's the league I'm missing."
While the agreement between the pair may seem surprising, it's worth noting that Gareth Bale previously spoke publicly about having a similar understanding with the former chairman regarding a move abroad in 2013 rather than to another Premier League club.
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There have also been claims that Luka Modric and Harry Kane had comparable gentleman's agreements in place around their own departures from the north London side. However, with that clause no longer active, any club looking to sign Romero would now have to meet whatever valuation Spurs set for their captain at the time.
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Spurs risk losing several key players this summer if they are relegated from the Premier League. The financial impact would be significant, and the club would likely be forced to move on a number of high‑earning players.
Even if they avoid the drop, there remains a possibility that Romero could still leave the club this summer. Earlier this year, Romero appeared to take aim at theclub's hierarchy after the defeat to Bournemouth, accusing them of telling 'lies' in a since‑edited Instagram post.
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Romero joined Spurs from Juventus for £42million in 2021 and was appointed club captain last August following the departure of Heung-min Son. This came just days after signing a new four‑year contract until 2029.