Dharmesh Sheth says Radu Dragusin ‘will sign for Tottenham’ after latest twist
Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on the signing of Genoa defender Radu Dragusin, despite some late pressure from Bayern Munich.
Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on securing the signature of Genoa defender Radu Dragusin, and Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has provided the latest update to GIVEMESPORT.
Ange Postecoglou’s side have seen a drastic upturn in performances this season after a disappointing campaign, which saw Spurs fail to qualify for any European competitions. However, this term, the north London outfit have a real chance of finishing in the top four, so Postecoglou and his recruitment team are searching for reinforcements to improve their squad.
Injuries to Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero throughout the campaign have highlighted the lack of depth in defence for Spurs, so bringing in an additional centre-back was always going to be a priority. It now appears that they are close to getting a deal over the line.
Twists and turns in Dragusin deal
On 10th December, Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Dragusin had opted to join Tottenham, with Djed Spence going the other way on loan. Spurs have reached an agreement with Genoa for a fee of around £26m with personal terms resolved earlier in the month. However, it certainly wasn’t a straightforward transfer for the north London club, with Bundesliga side Bayern Munich attempting to hijack the deal.
| Radu Gragusin vs Genoa squad – 2023/2024 Serie A | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stats | Output | Squad rank |
| Appearances | 18 | 2nd |
| Goals | 2 | =3rd |
| Aerials won per game | 3.2 | 1st |
| Clearances Per Game | 4.6 | 1st |
| Interceptions Per Game | 1 | 6th |
| Match rating | 6.73 | 5th |
| Statistics via WhoScored – Correct as of 10/01/2024 | ||
On 9th January, Bayern sent a formal bid to Genoa to attempt to swoop in and snatch Dragusin out of the grasp of Spurs. The German outfit offered slightly more money than the Premier League club, but they weren’t willing to offer a player in exchange. La Liga giants Barcelona were also willing to enter the race for Dragusin, according to reports in Italy, with Xavi Hernandez’s side keen to offer similar terms to Spurs.
Postecoglou reiterated his desire to bring in a new centre-back during the winter window, and it appears his wish has been granted…
“But once we lost Micky [van de Ven], and Eric Dier’s had some issues as well, we don’t have another centre-back. “Young Ash Phillips had just joined the club, so it’s fair to say that we can’t run the risk of that happening again, so that’s obviously a priority for us in January.”
It will be interesting to see whether Dragusin can break into the Spurs side immediately, especially when Romero and van de Ven are both fit and available. After an impressive start to the season, it appears that Daniel Levy is looking to back the Australian manager.
Dharmesh Sheth update –
Sheth has suggested that Dragusin has now chosen to sign for Tottenham and he will complete his deal to join the Premier League side. The Sky Sports reporter adds that Spence is set to join Genoa as part of the deal, while Bayern will now focus on bringing Dier to the club. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT on Wednesday morning, Sheth said…
“Sky Italy and Sky Germany are both reporting this morning that the player has now chosen Tottenham. it looks like as it stands it’s falling into place for Tottenham. It looks like that he’s chosen Tottenham, and it looks like that he will sign for Tottenham. Djed Spence would go the other way as part of that deal on loan to Genoa. As a result, Bayern Munich would then focus their attention on Eric Dier, who they have been interested in as well. So it could potentially be a win win win for Tottenham here.”
Postecoglou could lose defender after Dragusin deal
With Dragusin set to arrive at Hotspur Way, some of Postecoglou’s current crop of defenders might be sweating over their future at the club. One centre-back in particular, Eric Dier, had already fallen down the pecking order before the north London club had agreed to bring in a new addition, so it appears he could be on his way out the door.
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano recently told GIVEMESPORT that Dier has an agreement with Bayern Munich for a deal running until 2025. Spurs are willing to sanction his departure, especially with Dragusin potentially arriving. Florian Plettenberg has now revealed that Dier is now one of Bayern’s priority targets as they are set to miss out on Dragusin.
