Football London

Seven Tottenham stars respond to Cristian Romero exit after emotional farewell  Football London

The defender has long been looking for a move away from Tottenham, and having returned from the World Cup, the Argentinian's exit has now been confirmed as he joins Atletico Madrid

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed Cristian Romero's departure to Atletico Madrid.

Spurs' now-former captain leaves for a reported £34million and the 28-year-old has signed a five-year contract with the Spanish side. It comes just days after the Argentina international was controversially linked with a move to Arsenal during this summer transfer window.

It was said that Romero would be keen to join the Premier League champions, but Spurs were determined not to sell to their north London rivals. Atletico have described Romero as "a very physical footballer" who is "quick in anticipation" and has "a lot of leadership on the pitch".

The statement Spurs have shared on their website is barely 130 words long. Their social media post announcing the agreement features just 20.

Romero has been with the club since joining on an initial loan from Atalanta in 2021. He has played 156 times for Spurs, scoring 13 goals and providing seven assists.

The defender has had extra time off during pre-season after helping Argentina to reach the World Cup final in North America. Romero had, however, made it clear that he wanted to move on this summer, with head coach Roberto De Zerbi acknowledging as much when speaking to football.london.

Romero posted a goodbye video to fans on Friday evening, where he said: "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 enormous pride for everything we lived and achieved together.

"When I arrived, I had a clear dream: to leave my name in this club's history. I knew 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 it.

"The journey wasn't perfect, but I don't want that to define my goodbye. I choose to remember the happy moments, the lessons, the people who stood by me and, above all, the love I received during these five years.

"Thank you to everyone at the club who shared this journey with me. Coaches, teammates, staff and every person working 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 everything. I defended this shirt with pride and with all my heart.

"THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING I'm leaving the club, but a part of my heart will always remain here. Once I was one of you. Today, I leave as one of you forever. With all my love and respect. Thank you for everything. And goodbye @spursofficial."

Here's the Tottenham Hotspur team that we reckon Roberto De Zerbi will select to face Hoffenheim in the first of two friendlies against the German side

Roberto De Zerbi must start getting his Tottenham players blending together in their final friendlies before the Premier League season kicks off next weekend at Brentford.

Spurs host Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim in two friendly matches this weekend. The first comes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday afternoon (3pm kick-off) and then the remaining group of Lilywhites players will face the rest of the German side's squad on Sunday at Hotspur Way in a behind-closed-doors match with a midday start.

A core group of De Zerbi's players have got more minutes this summer that the rest in a pre-season which has seen the Italian balance the load management for returning World Cup players and those coming back after a season with serious injuries.

The Tottenham boss will want to hand debuts in front of the stadium crowd to £100million man Sandro Tonali and £52million centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke. All eyes will be on who partners them in midfield and central defence.

De Zerbi will want to get Tonali and £85million arrival Mateus Fernandes to build their partnership ahead of the season but Lucas Bergvall has played more minutes than the Portuguese and could potentially get the nod. At the back, Micky van de Ven is yet play any part in pre-season so new arrivals Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson could play on the left of the defence, although Ben Davies has played for much of the summer and will be fitter and sharper.

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Ultimately whoever does not play in the stadium match is likely to get a prolonged runout in the second game at Hotspur Way on Sunday, but De Zerbi could look to expose youngsters such as Luca Williams-Barnett and Mikey Moore to some minutes in front of the crowd.

Up top, Richarlison and Mathys Tel have had plenty of minutes in pre-season and are likely to continue that together against the German side.

Cristian Romero and Djed Spence are heading off to Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan respectively and their departures could be announced ahead of the game while World Cup winner Pedro Porro is likely to be gradually brought back in, with Archie Gray potentially continuing at right-back and captaining the side.

Here's the Tottenham team that we reckon De Zerbi could select for Saturday's pre-season game against Hoffenheim:

Tottenham defender Cristian Romero has announced his departure from the club with an emotional message before joining Atletico Madrid

Cristian Romero has issued a heartfelt and lengthy goodbye to Tottenham ahead of his imminent transfer to Atletico Madrid.

The Argentine only signed a new contract last summer when he was made club captain, but a difficult 2025/26 season has seen him opt for a new challenge with the La Liga side paying Spurs €40million (£34m) to sign him.

Despite often dividing the fanbase, his performance in the Europa League final will not be forgotten and his farewell message shows that he certainly cared about the club.

On Friday evening, he wrote 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 enormous pride for everything we lived and achieved together. When I arrived, I had a clear dream: to leave my name in this club’s history. I knew 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 it.**

"The journey wasn’t perfect, but I don’t want that to define my goodbye. I choose to remember the happy moments, the lessons, the people who stood by me and, above all, the love I received during these five years.

"Thank you to everyone at the club who shared this journey with me. Coaches, teammates, staff and every person working behind the scenes you are all part of my story and have a place in my heart.

FOLLOW OUR TOTTENHAM FB PAGE!Latest Spurs news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page

"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 everything. I defended this shirt with pride and with all my heart.

"THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. I’m leaving the club, but a part of my heart will always remain here. Once I was one of you. Today, I leave as one of you forever. With all my love and respect. Thank you for everything. And goodbye @spursofficial [white heart emoji]."

Spurs have arguably already replaced Romero with Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke joining this summer. The former's regular centre-back partner Micky van de Ven has also signed a new long-term contract.

While also selling Djed Spence to Inter Milan, Roberto De Zerbi is currently focused on attacking signings with moves for Manchester City star Savinho and Cody Gakpo of Liverpool being pursued.

Micky van de Ven, Kulusevski, Solanke, Kudus, Maddison - Tottenham injury updates and return dates  Football London

Tottenham could offer five players to seal Victor Osimhen swap transfer after Arsenal offer  Football London

Tottenham Hotspur want to sign the Manchester City winger after pursuing the Brazilian for more than a year

Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca has provided an update on Savinho after the Brazilian missed training amid transfer links to Tottenham.

Spurs are looking to sign the 22-year-old this summer to bolster Roberto De Zerbi's attacking options with the winger's price tag mooted to be anywhere between £65million and £85million with City also said to be keen to bring in a replacement before allowing Savinho to depart for north London.

The player is understood to be keen on the move to N17 and when he missed training this week under new City boss Maresca it led to plenty of speculation about a deal edging closer.

However, the Italian head coach, at his press conference ahead of Sunday's FA Community Shield game against Arsenal, clarified the attacker's absence.

"He was not part of the session [on Thursday], he was a little bit ill," said Maresca. "We'll see today, the session is in the afternoon, so we'll see how he is today and we'll decide [whether he is available vs Arsenal]."

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Spurs are in desperate need of attacking recruits with Mohammed Kudus on his way back from a long-term injury, Dejan Kulusevski taking his first steps back on the grass after more than a year out and Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert out of action until the turn of the year with anterior cruciate ligament injuries.

De Zerbi had to lean on France U21 international Mathys Tel and teenage academy products Mikey Moore and Luca Williams-Barnett during pre-season as well as Manor Solomon, who has since joined West Ham in a transfer worth £5million, plus another £2million in add-ons and a 10 per cent sell-on clause.

The Tottenham boss told football.london that he wants more attacking signings during the club's tour and has his eye on two or three new signings before the window closes on September 1.

Van de Ven mystery, Kulusevski absent, wonderkid in - 5 things spotted in Tottenham training  Football London

Inter Milan have reportedly agreed a deal with Spurs for defender Djed Spence.

Sky Sports claims that Spurs have reached a £30m agreement with the Italian club. The deal is said to include a 10 per cent sell-on clause.

It is added that Spence was given permission to undergo his medical in Italy as the clubs continued their discussions. The 26-year-old made 44 appearances for Tottenham last season.

Roberto De Zerbi has made it clear that he wants Tottenham to be challenging near the top of the table and plans to stick around for many years. Spurs have brought in an influx of new players but the manager has warned there is still work to do.

"We can't get ahead of ourselves. We need to create a clear playing style and give a soul to this team. If the results were lacking in previous years, it may well be because those elements were missing," De Zerbi said in an interview with Sky Italia.

"The Premier League is very competitive, so many talk about 'projects', but very few manage to see them through. We want to be here for many years and take Tottenham back to the top of the table. It’s no guarantee that just having a good transfer campaign will be enough to immediately challenge with the top teams. We’ll see."

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Fabrizio Romano reports that Spurs are yet to agree a fee for Manchester City winger Savinho. There have been claims that Tottenham have made an offer for the forward, but Romano states that talks are ongoing between the two clubs.

"Savinho wants to go to Tottenham," Romano said on his YouTube channel. "Savinho has an agreement with Tottenham on personal terms. Savinho is waiting and hoping Manchester City and Tottenham reach an agreement.”

“He continued: We also have to respect Man City, and Man City as of today are still not giving the green light for a Savinho transfer. At the moment, Manchester City are not accepting Tottenham’s bid. The negotiations continue, talks continue, but Savinho has a clear desire: He wants to be a Tottenham player.”

Spurs have heavily backed manager Roberto De Zerbi after he led the club to Premier League safety. Despite Tottenham's exciting signings, the manager has stated that there's more work to be done as the season draws closer.

One new arrival could be Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen as Spurs have been linked with a move for the former Napoli star. The club are also reportedly interested in several other attacking targets as De Zerbi looks to overhaul his team.

Here is a look at Tottenham's dream line-up

Spurs have reportedly made an offer for Manchester City winger Savinho.

Brazilian outlet Globo claims that Tottenham have submitted an £85 million bid for the 22-year-old. It is reported to have been City's asking price since the start of negotiations over the forward. Savinho was not involved in training on Thursday.

Spurs have been heavily linked with a move for Savinho throughout the summer, though his price tag has previously been claimed to be around £60m. football.london understands that Tottenham are interested in signing Savinho, whose contract runs until 2031, and have already held talks with City over a potential fee.

Tottenham defenders Cristian Romero and Djed Spence are set to complete respective moves to Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan for relatively low fees. However, Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi previously explained the importance of selling players at the right time during the club's pre-season tour.

"I was very clear at the start of my time in Tottenham. I said 'Who doesn't want to stay in Tottenham, who is not happy, is not proud to stay here, has to leave'," De Zerbi said. "I want proud players who are happy to stay here and to go on the pitch at Tottenham Stadium with a big motivation. If you think also in the World Cup, the motivation makes the difference. The motivation is to be happy to stay in one team."

He continued: "I think the top clubs now, they are not worried about selling players. No. Even Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, when they have to sell, they have to sell. Right price, you don't have to be shy. But when you have to spend money, you have to do that. Strong, fast, quickly, the right player, the right investment."

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ESPN reports that Djed Spence has landed in Milan ahead of his proposed move to Inter. He is set to sign a five-year deal as Denzel Dumfries replacement following the Dutchman's earlier move to Real Madrid.

The Tottenham Hotspur defender is set to complete a £27million switch to the Italian club. The 26-year-old made 44 appearances for Spurs last season and subsequently starred for England at the World Cup.

Spence has played 85 games for Tottenham since signing from Middlesbrough in 2022. Spurs have Pedro Porro as their first-choice right-back, while new signing Andy Robertson will challenge Destiny Udogie at left-back.

Roberto De Zerbi states what he wants to happen at Tottenham and it should excite the fanbase  Football London