As a Chicago-born sports journalist raised in a blue-collar household, I’ve seen how football’s true cost isn’t measured in euros—but in silence, hope, and the weight of unspoken dreams. This isn’t just about Romero’s transfer: it’s about a man who spent four seasons in North London dreaming of Madrid, and a club willing to pay 70 million euros not for his foot, but for his soul. Behind every stat is a story we refuse to tell until after the final whistle.