'HERE WE GO' Cristian Romero, who thrived alongside Son Heung-min at Tottenham, is set to join Lee Kang-in at Atletico Madrid for a transfer fee of 654 billion won.

*This content was translated by AI.

'The bond with Korean players begins anew. Cristian Romero (28), who previously shared the locker room with Son Heung-min (34, LAFC) at Tottenham Hotspur, has officially transferred to Atletico Madrid and will now play alongside Lee Kang-in (25).

European transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano announced on the 13th (Korea time) via his personal social networking service (SNS) that "Romero is heading to Atletico." Romano also added his signature phrase "HERE WE GO," indicating the transfer has been finalized.

According to Romano, Atletico and Tottenham have reached a final agreement on a transfer package totaling 40 million euros (approximately 65.4 billion won), including an option clause. Following failed negotiations with Inter Milan in July and Barcelona's recent decision not to pursue Romero, Tottenham concluded the deal by rejecting any potential sale to North London rival Arsenal.

After losing Son Heung-min, Tottenham has now sold their new captain, Romero. With the team plummeting to 18th place in the English Premier League (EPL), facing relegation, and Romero ruled out for the season due to injury, club executives initially set a transfer fee between 60 million and 65 million euros (approximately 106.5 billion won) to address financial pressures and squad restructuring. While Manchester United and Real Madrid had shown interest, Diego Simeone's strong demand for defensive reinforcements led Atletico to persist in negotiations until securing Romero's signature.

Romero joined after Lee Kang-in had already donned the Atletico jersey. Lee Kang-in, who played for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) until last season, finalized his move to Atletico with a transfer fee of up to 40 million euros (approximately 65.6 billion won) and a five-year contract through 2031.

Following the confirmation of his transfer, Lee Kang-in remained in South Korea to complete military service exemption procedures tied to his gold medal at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. He joined the team upon Atletico's arrival in Korea for the 2026 Coupang Play Series. After participating in his first team training session on the 7th, Lee made his unofficial debut as a substitute in the match against Manchester City at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 9th.

After completing administrative procedures immediately following the match, Lee Kang-in departed for Spain with the squad. Spanish media outlet 'Mundo Deportivo' reported on the 11th that "the Atletico team arrived at Barajas Airport after concluding their tour in Seoul," adding that "the most notable figure was Lee Kang-in, who visited the Majadahonda training facility for the first time since his transfer." It further noted that Lee exited the facility via club vehicle and is scheduled to personally inspect the training ground on Wednesday.

Lee Kang-in will begin full local training starting on the 13th following the team's holiday break, concluding his pre-season schedule with a friendly match against Marseille (France) on the 15th. He is set to make his Spanish league debut and home debut in the opening match of the 2026-2027 La Liga Round 1 against Malaga at Riyadh Air Metropolitano on the 20th. With Romero's transfer confirmed, the elite center-back who supported Son Heung-min at Tottenham will now challenge for the La Liga title alongside Lee Kang-in in Madrid.

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*This content was translated by AI.