Cristian Romero admits he surprised Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini when telling him he wished to leave for Tottenham.
The Argentina defender joined Spurs last week.
He told AS: "When I went to talk to him he thought it would be for something else, but he respected my decision. He wanted me to keep growing, wished me luck and gave me the green light to deal with Tottenham."
Romero also admits Barcelona were interested in his signature.
He said, "Yes, I knew about Barcelona's interest, but I chose Tottenham: I wanted to play in the Premier League and continue to grow in the best league in the world.
"(Lionel) Messi asked me for Barcelona? He is a phenomenon, he is an incredible person. But not only him, in Argentina everyone welcomed me in a great way."