Why Tottenham want to sign Radu Dragusin

Tottenham’s haphazard recruitment played a major factor in Mauricio Pochettino’s demise and the turbulence that ensued under managers who were appointed with the purpose of bringing immediate joy.

Following a dismal 2022/23 in which apathy prevailed, a change in tack was necessary and an overhaul has been overseen on almost every front in N17.

Changes at the top (but below Daniel Levy, of course) set the tone, and while Fabio Paratici is no longer employed by the club (officially), the Italian’s work on the recruitment front has altered Tottenham’s long-term outlook. Their 2023 summer transfer window currently reads like a vintage Kanye West album (hit, hit, hit), but an injury crisis means Spurs are going to have to dip their toe in the transfer market once again this winter.

An array of absences has cast doubt over just how successful Ange Postecoglou will be in his debut season after a scintillating start, and the Aussie boss has been proactive in subtly but publicly placing pressure on those above him ahead of the January transfer window.

Centre-back is a distinct area of need, and the club is already putting in the groundwork to sign versatile Genoa defender Radu Dragusin in the new year. Here’s everything you need to know about the 21-year-old linked with a move to N17.

While a myriad of factors were at play in Tottenham’s fast start to 2023/24, the centre-back pairing of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven was particularly critical to their success. However, the speedy Dutchman succumbed to a hamstring injury in the fateful 4-1 defeat to Chelsea at the start of November and has been out of action since.

Van de Ven is set to return in mid-January, but he won’t be back to partner Romero, who could be out until the start of February with a hamstring issue. Thus, Postecoglou has been forced to deploy Emerson Royal and Ben Davies as a centre-back pairing, with Eric Dier also being brought back in from the dark.

While Davies has often impressed, Dier is ill-suited to performing in such an aggressive defensive line, while Emerson is a full-back merely helping his manager out. Tottenham need bodies at the heart of their defence and a superior backup to Romero is required given his fetish for a suspension.

Dragusin not only delivers in the short-term, but the 21-year-old also has the potential to blossom into an excellent long-term option for Postecoglou’s Lilywhites. The Romanian defender is playing his first season as a regular in Serie A having excelled for Genoa amid their promotion-gaining campaign last term.

Dragusin joined Juventus in 2018 having garnered interest from Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, but he departed the Old Lady for Genoa permanently in January 2023 having enjoyed loan spells at Serie A strugglers Sampdoria and Salernitana.

The Romanian international has come into his own under Alberto Gilardino, with Dragusin’s form imperative to Genoa’s decent return to the top flight this term. Defensively, Gilardino’s side have impressed as a collective. Their xGA from open play is the seventh-lowest in Serie A at the time of writing (11.88 in 18 games).

Individually, Dragusin stands out athletically and is an aerial duel monster. His recent goal in Genoa’s draw with Inter demonstrated his proficiency in the air. The Romanian ranks in the 89th percentile of all centre-backs in Europe’s top-five leagues over the past year when it comes to aerial duels won per 90 minutes (3.17) and aerial duel success rate (69.5%).

There’s a throwback element about Dragusin when asked to defend his box – he certainly puts his body on the line. Crucially, the defender’s ventures as a right-back and on the right-side of a back three means he’s grown in comfort when defending wide areas, while his impressive turn of pace should allow him to effectively defend in a Postecoglou defensive line.

In possession, there are a few more question marks. Dragusin is undoubtedly courageous with the ball at his feet and an adept ball carrier – similar to Van de Ven – but his 81.8% pass completion is poor for a centre-back. He’s also averaging fewer than 40 passing attempts per 90 for Genoa this season, which means he could endure some teething problems when tasked with being more metronomic for Spurs. Romero, for example, is averaging just shy of 85 pass attempts this season while boasting a 92.3% pass completion.

In summary, Dragusin has the physical tools to shine in north London, but Genoa’s contrasting style means the 21-year-old will have to adjust considerably in possession.

Dragusin’s potential move to Tottenham is moving quickly with the club hopeful of bringing in a centre-back at the start of the January window. Reports suggest Dragusin has already said ‘yes’ to the north London club, with Spurs set to lodge their first bid to Genoa imminently.

The Serie A club are believed to be demanding €30m for the Romanian international.

90min understands that a deal is by no means a certainty, however, with plenty of obstacles left to navigate before Spurs fans can think about getting Dragusin’s name on the back of their shirts.

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