Tottenham complete €55m signing of Cristian Romero
Carlo Garganese
- 6 Aug 2021 18:58 BST
- 3 min read
Tottenham have completed the signing of Atalanta defender Cristian Romero for a fee in the region of €55 million.
The centre back has signed a five-year contract until 2026.
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Spurs have been in the market for a top-class central defender this summer and have sealed a deal for one of Europe’s most coveted stoppers.
Both Manchester United and Barcelona were also interested in signing Romero, but the former had placed Raphael Varane as their primary defensive target, while the Catalans were unable to afford the Argentine right now.
Romero named Serie A Defender of the Year
Romero was named Serie A Defender of the Year last season following a fantastic campaign for a much-loved Atalanta side.
He spent only one year at Atalanta after moving to the club on a two-year loan from Juventus at the start of the 2020-21 season.
Atalanta had the option to make the deal permanent at any time for €18m, and they executed this option a year early before selling on for a big profit.
Romero can play in both a back three or a back four. He is known for his pace, aggression and aerial ability, in addition to being a threat on corners and set-pieces.
The 23-year-old has been compared to former Uruguay and Juventus hardman Paolo Montero due to his propensity for getting stuck in and receiving yellow cards.
He was booked 25 times and sent off twice during his two seasons at Genoa between 2018 and 2020.
Romero has established himself as a regular for the Argentina national team this year and played an important role as they won the Copa America during the summer.
Tottenham have been having a busy summer so far under new transfer chief Fabio Paratici, who has now signed two players from Atalanta.
The first was goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini, who arrived at Spurs on a two-year loan deal with the option to make it permanent.
Read more about: La Liga, Serie A, Premier League, Barcelona, Man United, Tottenham, Cristian Romero, Pierluigi Gollini, Raphaël Varane
