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Tottenham are aiming to build on an excellent first half of the season under Ange Postecoglou with some statement signings in the January transfer window.
Former Chelsea forward Timo Werner has returned to the Premier League on an initial six-month loan to Spurs from RB Leipzig.
Postecoglou has also been linked with bringing in a new midfielder as speculation continues to swirl around Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher.
However, the most obvious area of need is in central defence, given Spurs have managed to stay in the hunt for Champions League qualification despite some key injury absences in their backline.
And after looking to Serie A, they they have their man. The Sporting News profiles that man, Radu Dragusin, here.
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Who is Radu Dragusin?
Twenty-one-year-old Romania international Radu Dragusin established himself as one of the most highly rated young defenders in Italy’s top flight while playing for Genoa.
Dragusin impressed during his youth career with Regal Sport Bucharest. The club has links to Atletico Madrid but Juventus made their move to pip their fellow European heavyweights to his signature in 2018, paying €250,000 for the then Romania Under-16 captain.
His Juve debut came as a substitute during a December 2020 Champions League group-stage win over Dynamo Kyiv. Dragusin continued to predominantly feature for Juve’s U23 team during 2020/21 and did enough to earn a new four-year deal.
Progress for promising youngsters at big clubs is seldom linear and Dragusin then stalled after underwhelming loan stints with Sampdoria and Salernitana.
Last season’s move to Sampdoria’s city rivals Genoa on loan with an obligation to buy proved transformative. Dragusin played in every league game, starting 37 as Alberto Gilardino’s side secured promotion back to the top division as runners-up in Serie B.
Genoa now lie 12th after half a season back in Serie A, with Dragusin an ever-present prior to his transfer to England. He also featured in every game as Romania sealed a place at Euro 2024.
The appeal of an imposing, front-foot defender with a spotless fitness record feels pretty obvious so far as Spurs are concerned.
Radu Dragusin transfer fee: How much will Romania defender cost Tottenham?
According to MailOnline, Genoa were holding out for an asking price of £26m ($33m/€30m), while Spurs’ made an initial verbal offer in the region of £21m ($26.7m/€24.4m).
In the end, it was widely reported that the Premier League side will pay an initial £21.5m ($27.4m/€25m) with a further £5.2m ($6.6m/$6m) in add-ons.
Bayern Munich made a late bid to sign the player, who is said to have been keen to keep his word that he would join Spurs. His agent also mischievously suggested the player could move to Real Madrid or Barcelona in the coming years should he impress in England.
Despite returning to Serie A, Genoa’s financial plight is not a steady one. They are facing a three-point deduction after not submitting tax documents on time. The opportunity to make a substantial profit on the €5.5m they paid to Juventus for Dragusin’s services was too good to ignore.
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Why did Tottenham sign Radu Dragusin?
Tottenham were early season pacesetters in the Premier League before key injuries tempered their progress. Playmaker James Maddison and centre-back Micky van de Ven were both new signings who helped propel Postecoglou to a flying start, but neither have not featured since suffering injuries during a wild 4-1 defeat to Chelsea in which Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie were each sent off.
Romero has since suffered a hamstring injury. Although not as serious as Van de Ven’s, the Argentine World Cup winner is expected to be out until February. Postecoglou has frequently been forced to field full-backs Emerson Royal and Ben Davies in central defence, while Eric Dier — heading to Bayern Munich this month — was out of favour.
Van de Ven made his return to the Spurs matchday squad on January 5, when he was an unused substitute during the 1-0 FA Cup win over Burnley. But centre-back remains an obvious area for Tottenham to reinforce, especially considering Dier’s exit.
What did Radu Dragusin say about Virgil van Dijk?
While at Juventus, Dragusin spoke to the club’s in-house television channel about defenders who inspired him. He namechecked Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini, both understandable choices that carried a whiff of contractual obligation, given they are Juve legends.
However, he also mentioned how Liverpool hero Virgil van Dijk had “inspired” him. Dragusin’s relish for aerial battles and one vs. one duels means his admiration for Van Dijk is not hard to imagine.
His style has also been likened to another Premier League import: Manchester United favourite Nemanja Vidic. Dragusin’s athletic prowess is hardly surprising when we consider his father and mother represented Romania internationally in volleyball and basketball respectively.
Van Dijk and Vidic each moved to Liverpool and United during the mid-season transfer window and enjoyed phenomenal success. Dragusin and Spurs fans will hope this is a good omen.
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