Sergio Reguilon is joining Atletico Madrid after Lazio backed out of a move for Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League misfit left-back, according to Tuttomercatoweb.
The former Real Madrid youngster was one of Spurs’ most consistent performers during a fraught 2020/21 campaign; a constant source of energy and endeavour down the left-hand side. At the time, few would have guessed that Reguilon’s once-promising Tottenham career would end like this.
Cast onto the fringes of the squad by the ever-ruthless Antonio Conte, the Spain international is leaving via the back door. He landed in Madrid on Tuesday morning, per TMW, ahead of a season-long loan move to 2021 La Liga champions Atletico Madrid.
Sergio Reguilon is leaving Tottenham Hotspur for Atletico Madrid
Nottingham Forest showed an interest before landing Renan Lodi; the man Reguilon will now replace at the Wanda Metropolitano. Serie A outfit Lazio, meanwhile, walked away after being put off by the costs involved.
I Biancocelesti were only willing to contribute around a third of Reguilon’s £50,000-a-week wages. And with president Claudio Lotito reluctant to meet Tottenham’s demands, negotiations between the two clubs collapsed like a matchstick tower.
Atletico Madrid, however, are willing to put their money where their mouth is. Reguilon’s all-action, knife-between-the-teeth approach is likely to fit in well under Diego Simeone. He will also provide a more attack-minded option at left-back, a contrast to the defensively-diligent Reinildo.
“There’s the World Cup and for this season, many players want to play regularly,” Conte explained earlier in the summer. “For this reason, I think that sometimes it’s better for the player and club to find the right solution.
“Because, to keep players unhappy, is not good and I cannot ensure they’ll play regularly here in Tottenham.
“We’re talking about good players but maybe they deserve to play regularly. So we want to find a solution for the club and the player to keep both sides happy.”
Reguilon will follow Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso, Joe Rodon and Steven Bergwijn out the door. Harry Winks, meanwhile, is set to follow the David Platt journey to Sampdoria.
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