It has been an open secret that Atletico Madrid are keen to sign Romero despite Tottenham's efforts to retain him at the club.

Romero has been linked with a transfer in the past, with Liverpool recently inquiring about the Argentina international, who is friends with midfielder Alexis Mac Allister.

Atletico Madrid, who began their Club World Cup campaign with a 4-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain, appear to be closer than ever to signing Romero, who is in his prime.

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone expressed his desire to sign Romero, saying, “Do I want Cuti Romero? Obviously! He’s a great player!”

Romero has two years left on his contract with Tottenham and has expressed his desire to play in La Liga, saying, “I’d love to play La Liga. I’d love to, honestly.”

However, his future remains uncertain, with Tottenham reportedly demanding £60m for his transfer, while Atletico Madrid were only willing to pay £40m.

With new manager Thomas Frank at the helm, Tottenham may have to consider selling Romero for a lower price to avoid a player dispute, especially with time running out on his contract.