Tottenham sign defender Radu Dragusin for £26.7m: Decoding his stats
Tottenham Hotspur have roped in Genoa defender Radu Dragusin for £26.7m. As a part of the deal, English full-back Djed Spence has joined Genoa on loan. Tottenham saw off late competition from Bayern Munich to conclude a deal that will see them pay an initial £21.5m plus £5.2m in add-ons. Dragusin has signed a contract with Tottenham which will run until 2030.
Why does this story matter?
Tottenham have struggled this season due to injuries to their primary defenders like Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven. Both the players have missed a major chunk of this season due to injuries and suspensions. Also, manager Ange Postecoglou allowed Eric Dier leave for Bayern. Therefore, Dragusin's signing for very crucial as they desperately needed some cover in that area.
A look at Dragunsin's career graph
Dragusin started his footballing journey with Romanian outfit AS Metropolitan before joining Juventus youth academy in 2018. There he rose through the age-group teams before joining Sampdoria on loan in 2021, making 15 appearances. Later, he joined Salertina on loan, playing seven times. He moved to Genoa on loan in 2022 before they made the deal permanent. In 61 appearances, he scored six goals.
Breaking down his Serie A 2023-24 season in numbers
The 21-year-old has featured in 19 Serie A appearances while scoring two goals and registering a solitary assist. Dragusin completed 568 out of 686 attempted passes at a passing accuracy of 82.2%. He returned with 87 clearances, 21 interceptions and 12 blocks. The Romanian won 29 ground duels and 59 aerial duels. Dragusin helped Genoa earn three clean sheets in the ongoing season.
Dragusin has represented Romania 13 times
Dragusin was called up to the Romania senior team for the first time in March 2022. A month later, he made his debut in a 1-0 defeat against Greece. He featured in all 10 games in the 2024 Euro qualifiers, as Romania topped Group I and qualified for the main event in Germany. Dragusin will be pivotal for Romania at the 2024 European Championships.
Djed Spence is set to join Genoa on loan
Spence joined Tottenham from Middlesbrough for £20m in 2022. He immediately joined Nottingham Forest on loan for the remainder of the season. He featured in 46 matches, scoring three goals in the Championship. Spence joined Rennes on loan in 2022 before joining Leeds for his third loan stint. He returned to Spurs earlier having played only seven times after suffering a knee injury.
Bayern tried to hijack Dragusin deal
Bayern Munich tried to hijack the deal with a last-ditch bid for the Romanian defender. However, Dragusin was determined to join the Premier League outfit as he wanted to honor an agreement. Bayern have roped in Dier, who has reportedly completed a medical with the German champions. Dier is set to join former team-mate Harry Kane.
