According to Mundo Deportivo via SportWitness, Atletico Madrid’s hopes of signing Cristian Romero have taken a major hit as Tottenham are looking for a fee close to €80 million to part ways with him, nearly double the amount Diego Simeone’s side were prepared to offer.
Romero’s future has been one of the biggest talking points in recent months. While the World Cup winner still has two years left on his deal at Tottenham, he has been linked with a move to Spain.
Initially, he was linked with a move to Real Madrid but they are unlikely to make a move for any centre-back this summer. With a move to Los Blancos not on the cards, Romero seems to have his heart set on a move to Atletico Madrid, where he could play alongside quite a few of his international teammates.
The Argentine international has been one of the mainstays of the Tottenham defence in recent years. While he remains a key part of their plans, the player seems to be interested in making a move away. Spurs are reluctant to part ways with him but with just two years left on his contract and a renewal looking unlikely, they might be tempted to listen to offers.
Atletico are keen to add him to their squad, with Simeone a huge admirer of the Argentine centre-back. The Atletico boss wants more quality in defence and believes Romero could significantly strengthen their backline.
While they already have the green light from the player, negotiations with Spurs are not going to be easy. Daniel Levy has proven to be very difficult to negotiate with and he will certainly demand a fortune for his player.
The report suggests Tottenham want €80 million to sanction the departure of the 27-year-old. Their valuation is double what Atletico were initially planning to offer. They were looking to put forward an offer worth around €40-50 million which certainly might not be good enough.
Given the gap in valuation between the two clubs, it remains to be seen how negotiations will unfold. Having already spent heavily on Julian Alvarez last summer, it will be fascinating to see if Atletico are willing to splash the cash once again to land another Argentine star from the Premier League.
