Days after beating Man United in Europa League final, Tottenham hero Cristian Romero tells Daniel Levy he wants to join European giants: Reports

Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero reportedly wants to join Atletico Madrid, despite winning the Europa League earlier in the week. The Argentina international helped end Spurs' 17-year run without a trophy by beating Manchester United 1-0 in the final of this competition on Wednesday, May 21.

However, it seems as though this isn't enough to convince Romero to remain in north London. A report from MARCA claims that Atletico Madrid sporting director Carlos Bucero and Romero’s agent Ciro Palermo have already discussed a move for the centre-back (via Metro).

This would be a huge blow to Ange Postecoglou's men, given that the 27-year-old is a first XI player. He's made 26 appearances across competitions this season, due to some injury concerns, bagging a goal and two assists.

While Romero also wants the transfer, it may not be too straightforward, with Spurs demanding €70 million to part ways with the defender. The Premier League side may be able to push for such a high sum, given that their player has two years left on his current contract.

While Tottenham Hotspur will be playing in the UEFA Champions League next season, strong performances are far from guaranteed. They were poor in the league this year, sitting 17th in the standings with one game remaining.

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid seem a more likely side to challenge for top honors. They are third in La Liga and will also be offering Champions League football for next season.

UEFA makes apology as Tottenham players, including Cristian Romero, were left without medals after Europa League glory

UEFA has delivered an apology to Tottenham Hotspur players, some of whom were not presented with their winners' medals after managing to win the Europa League final.

Cristian Romero, Son Heung-min, and Rodrigo Bentancur were those spotted celebrating without medals hanging around their necks. Apologising for this slip-up, UEFA said (via The Guardian):

"To our great displeasure, we did not have enough medals available on stage during the trophy ceremony presentation due to an unexpected discrepancy in the player count, as more team members – including injured players – participated in the ceremony than initially anticipated. The missing medals were promptly delivered to the winning team in the dressing room, along with our sincerest apologies for the oversight."

Spurs will finish their Premier League season with a match at home against Brighton on Sunday, May 25. The Seagulls come into this game sitting eighth in the standings.

About the author

Rahul has been a European football journalist for Sportskeeda since 2023. A B.B.A. L.L.B. graduate, he captained his university football team and also played for Boca Juniors Football School during his initial years, and also coached his university's girls team. He always aims to translate his tactical awareness, knowledge of the sport and first-hand experience into well-researched articles for his readers.

A follower of the beautiful game since 2014, Rahul is an avid Arsenal and a match-going Bengaluru FC fan. His favorite footballer is Mesut Ozil due to his love for nimble-footed playmakers, while his favorite manager is the legendary Arsene Wenger owing to the Frenchman's attractive style of football.

Rahul, whose favorite FIFA World Cup moment is Lionel Messi lifting the trophy in 2022, has interviewed grassroots expert Tom Byer in the past and gained insight into Japanese football. He also believes Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland can rule the footballing world and take Ronaldo and Messi's place.

When he is not writing, Rahul likes to spend his time playing football, following the Indian Super League and watching other sports. He is also a huge cricket fan and supports Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

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Edited by Rahul Naresh