Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone confirms desire to sign Tottenham defender Cristian Romero

Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone has expressed his desire to sign Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero.

The La Liga giants are currently in the United States as one of 32 sides from across the globe taking part in the revamped Club World Cup.

Simeone's troops were up against it during their opening match of the group stage, facing Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain.

The Spanish side were no match for their French counterparts in truth, with Luis Enrique's men picking up a comfortable 4-0 success.

Needing a victory to get their Club World Cup campaign back on track, Atletico Madrid face Seattle Sounders on Thursday night.

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"Obviously" - Simeone responds to Romero rumours

After his side's battering at the hands of PSG on Sunday evening, Simeone gave a revealing response to questions surrounding Atletico Madrid's reported interest in Tottenham star Romero.

“Do I want Cuti (Cristian) Romero? Obviously! He’s a great player,” the 55-year-old told the media following his defeat to the Ligue 1 champions.

With two years left on his contract in North London, Romero could be set to wave goodbye to Tottenham after four years at the club.

The World Cup winner recently helped the Lilywhites end their 17-year trophy drought, lifting the Europa League after beating Manchester United in the final.

Romero is known to be saddened by the sacking of Ange Postecoglou, who guided Spurs to their first European title in 41 years.

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"Love to play La Liga" - Romero talks Spain

In a recent interview with a Argentine journalist, Romero said: "I’d love to play La Liga. I’d love to, honestly."

"It depends on a lot of things. We’ll see after the [English] championship is over. The truth is, I haven’t spoken to my agent yet, but I’m open to anything. My goal is always to grow and go to new places to continue developing."

Romero and Tottenham will return to action on July 31 when they face North London rivals Arsenal in a pre-season friendly.