Who is Radu Dragusin? Tottenham’s new defensive recruit

 

Even before Tottenham's welcome of Bournemouth on New Year's Eve, it was obvious the north London side needed a new centre-back. With Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero both sidelined due to respective hamstring injuries, and Eric Dier out of favour, investment at the back this month is key. 

 

Of course acquiring the right centre-back in the New Year is of the utmost importance. They also need to be happy to, for the most part, be considered third choice when every player is fit and suit the system Ange Postecoglou has implemented at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The appointment of Johan Lange as new technical director back in October suggests their recruitment process will be data led, with a host of centre-back targets matching Postecoglou's needs. 

 

Jean-Clair Todibo was believed to be the club's primary target but with Spurs aware that the France international will cost a fair bit to prise away from Nice, attention has since turned to Genoa's Radu Dragusin. The Romanian has impressed for the Serie A side this season, and his performances for Il Grifone have clearly caught the eye. 

 

Even with Genoa favouring a three-man backline, Spurs have evidently seen enough of Dragusin to make the 21-year-old one of their top targets in the January window. This comes despite Dragusin playing a system that often sits deeper to soak up pressure. Indeed, Genoa's possession average of 42.9% is the third lowest in Serie A this season. By comparison, Spurs' possession return of 59.7% ranks fifth in the Premier League. 

 

With the centre-backs under Postecoglou tasked with instigating attacks, Dragusin will be presented with more opportunities to showcase his passing ability at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Romania international ranks fourth for passes per game (36.7) and boasts the second best pass success rate (82.5%) for the Italian side this season, so Dragusin does have the responsibility of getting the ball rolling for Alberto Gilardino's side. 

 

However, it's the nitty-gritty defensive work that has really caught the eye of potential suitors this season. Indeed, Dragusin is extremely difficult to get the better of having returned a tackle success rate of 93.8%, that the best of the 232 players to have attempted 15 or more tackles in the 2023/24 Serie A campaign. Across 18 appearances, Dragusin has been dribbled past just once. 

 

 

Operating at the heart of Genoa's three-man defence, it means Dragusin isn't required to carry out the dirty work as frequently as the centre-backs to his left and right though the youngster has a knack for being in the right place at the right time to alleviate pressure on his side's goal. Dragusin ranks first for aerial duels won of centre-backs (58), that second overall, and second for clearances (82) in Italy's top tier this term. He'll go to great lengths to minimise the threat to the Genoa goal. 

 

What's crucial is that Dragusin has the recovery speed to make up the yards in the space between the defence and the goalkeeper. A key reason behind Spurs' early-season form was the centre-back partnership of Van de Ven and Romero, with the former in particular able to make up the yards to ensure any balls over the top of the Spurs defence are dealt with. It's for this reason that Dier hasn't had much of a look in under Postecoglou, who has favoured full-backs Ben Davies and Emerson Royal at the heart of the defence. 

 

Dragusin is not only a warrior of a defender but one who'll sweep up at the back with ease, and this is key in Postecoglou's high defensive line. A defender of his stature won't fear the physical rigours of English football but rather thrive in the Premier League. With plenty of room for development, Dragusin's distribution will improve in time with the right coaching. Given the transformation in playing style in such a small period under Postecoglou, fans would be confident of this side of Dragusin's game developing accordingly under the watchful eye of the Australian. 

 

Spurs have benefited tremendously from the additions of Juventus castoffs with Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur both becoming key men for the north London side. Dragusin wasn't given a fair crack of the whip during his short time in Turin but he's gone on to establish himself as one of the most promising young centre-backs in Europe. Supporters will hope to witness his continued development at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Who is Radu Dragusin? Tottenham’s new defensive recruit