Tottenham have lost two defenders in the space of days, and the numbers attached make this a significant summer reshuffle. Cristian Romero is Atlético Madrid's problem now — £34 million, five years, Diego Simeone's back four. Djed Spence follows him out the door to Inter Milan for £25.6 million.
Micky van de Ven, the man left holding Spurs' defensive line together, put it plainly on his Instagram stories. To Romero: "Hermano, thank you for everything, brother, what a player you are!! All the best!" To Spence: "What a guy and top player, go kill it over there, brother!"
The sentiment is genuine. The problem it leaves behind is real.
Romero's exit was coming — but it still stings
Romero had made no secret of wanting out this summer. Head coach Roberto De Zerbi acknowledged it publicly, which is rarely a sign that a player stays. The Argentine arrived on loan from Atalanta in 2021, converted that to a permanent deal, and went on to make 156 appearances, scoring 13 goals — a remarkable return for a centre-back. He also lifted a trophy during his time at the club, which he leaned on heavily in his farewell message.
"I had a clear dream: to leave my name in this club's history," Romero wrote. "And we did it."
He was linked with Arsenal before Atlético moved. That particular outcome, at least, Spurs were spared.
At Atlético, he joins one of Europe's most defensively structured sides under Simeone, who has built careers on exactly Romero's profile — aggressive, combative, reads the game at pace. At 28, he fits their timeline perfectly. La Liga title markets will be watching — Atlético's backline just got considerably more physical.
Spence's departure closes a complicated chapter
Spence arrived from Middlesbrough in 2022 for around £20 million and never quite nailed down a regular starting berth. His World Cup performances for England this summer changed the conversation — Inter Milan clearly liked what they saw enough to pay £25.6 million for a player who spent much of his Spurs career on the periphery.
He shared a montage of his Tottenham highlights captioned "memories of a lifetime." Four years, a lot of squad appearances, one genuinely strong international tournament. Inter get a full-back with Premier League mileage and proven big-game capability. Not a bad piece of business for either side.
For Spurs, two senior defenders gone in a week means De Zerbi's backline needs rebuilding before the season gets serious. Van de Ven is excellent — but he can't do this alone.
