SOCCER: Atletico Madrid sign Tottenham captain Cristian Romero

Atletico Madrid have signed Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero until June 2031 after five seasons in north London, the Spanish club said on Saturday.

Financial details were not disclosed. British media reported Atletico paid around £34.2 million ($46.27 million) for the 28-year-old.

Romero bid farewell to Spurs on Friday, saying he was leaving "with a heart full of memories and enormous pride for everything we lived and achieved together".

The centre back made 156 appearances and scored 13 goals for Spurs across all competitions, initially joining the Premier League club on loan from Atalanta in 2021 before making the move permanent.

Romero drew criticism at the end of last season for travelling to Argentina before the club's final league match against Everton, with Spurs still fighting to secure their Premier League status.

The Argentina international was a member of the squad that won the 2022 World Cup and also featured in the 2026 tournament, including the final.

($1 = 0.7391 pounds)

-Reporting by Paras J. Haji in Bengaluru; Editing by William Mallard/Reuter