Earlier this week we reported that Cristian Romero's future had become a three-way race. The latest twist is that Atletico Madrid now look the likeliest destination, while Tottenham still control the situation because Romero has three years left on his contract.

Atletico Madrid move ahead

Fabrizio Romano said Atletico are preparing a new official bid after already sending one to Spurs. He also said the Spanish club are the clear favourites to sign Romero now. That lines up with the broader picture around Atletico's window, after the departures of Nahuel Molina to Roma and Matteo Ruggeri to Aston Villa.

Atletico finished fourth in La Liga in 2025, which is a decent fit for a player like Romero. He has 156 appearances for Tottenham and 13 goals, so this is not a case of a squad filler being pushed out. He is still producing too. Romero's 2026 World Cup average rating is 7.16 across 7 appearances and 627 minutes, and he has 1 goal in those 7 games.

Arsenal blocked, Barcelona conditional

The sharper part of the story is what is not happening. Tottenham sources told TEAMtalk they have zero intention of considering a deal with Arsenal, and Paul O'Keefe was even blunter, saying: "Absolutely no chance Spurs deal with them so no." He also said: "He won't go there because Spurs won't entertain it but he's been twerking for them to join in the race due to his relationship with the Arsenal assistant coach."

Barcelona are a different case. Romano said they could be in the market for a second proposal, but only if the pieces fall into place. Barcelona have agreed to loan Ronald Araújo to Liverpool, and there are also talks over exits involving Ferran Torres, Marc Casado, Tommy Marques and Roony Bardghji.

Barcelona finished first in La Liga in 2025, so the interest is not about urgency. It is about whether the squad and wage room appear at the right time. For now, Atletico have the best hand and Spurs are not selling to Arsenal, which leaves Barcelona waiting for the window to move in their favour.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →