Radu Dragusin’s debut is imminent.
He is expected to start against Manchester United right away. Paul O’Keefe, who is well versed in Tottenham’s news, said on Wednesday (Korea time), “Dragusin’s paperwork has been completed. He can travel to Old Trafford.” Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News also said that both Dragusin and Timo Werner have joined the Tottenham squad in Manchester. In an interview ahead of the match against Manchester United, Tottenham manager Enze Postecoglou said, “We will see. All the paperwork has to be completed. If the paperwork is completed, we will include him in the squad.” As all the documents have been resolved, Dragusin’s debut at Tottenham is imminent.
As Dragusin’s appearance nears, a combination of Mickey van der Pen and Dragusin is expected to defend Tottenham’s center against Manchester United. Christian Romero is still uncertain to play. Postecoglou explained, “Romero has just started training, so it may reach a little bit this weekend.” Romero was injured while playing in the 18th round against Everton. There was a sign of discomfort from the beginning of the game, and he was replaced by Eric Dier at the start of the second half. With Romero also injured, Postecoglou filled the gap by changing Ben Davies and Emerson Royal to the center. The addition of Dragusin brought a breather.
Tottenham officially announced the recruitment of Dragusin on its official website on the 12th (Korea time). Tottenham said, “Dragusin has joined from Genoa. We are very happy to announce the recruitment of Dragusin. He signed a contract with us by 2030 and will wear number 6,” adding about joining Dragusin.
Earlier on the 11th, Fabrizio Romano, an expert on the transfer market of European football, said on his personal SNS, “Dragusin is about to sign a contract. Medical tests were conducted at Tottenham Stadium.” Italy’s Gianluca DiMargio also released a photo of Dragusin’s visit to the airport with a carrier, saying, “Dragusin is ready for a new adventure. I stopped by Genoa to say goodbye to my teammate, and I’m leaving for London to sign with Tottenham.” According to the news, Tottenham’s offer is 3 million euros (about 4.3 billion won), more than three times higher than 930,000 euros (about 1.3 billion won) previously received at Genoa.
With the official announcement, Tottenham ended its tough race to recruit Dragusin. Ahead of the upcoming transfer window, Tottenham focused its efforts on recruiting center backs. The most important thing that Tottenham considers to recruit is center backs. Initially, Postecoglou strongly wanted to recruit center backs in this winter’s transfer window to the extent that he said he had wished for Santa. Postecoglou jokingly replied that he had written a letter to Santa Claus, saying, “Now, like my children, I will have to see if I have done wrong.”
Centerback is also the position with the biggest gap between key players and backup resources this season. Romero and Pantherpen are among the top teams in the league, but Ben Davies and Eric Dier, who have backup resources, are not even considered as mid-ranking teams. Davis originally played at left fullback. He steadily started and improved his performance, but Dier only proved his disappointing performance through the upset loss against Wolverhampton. Dier eventually left the team. Dier recently confirmed his transfer to Bayern Munich. Even a small number of backup center backs left the team, and recruiting Dragusin became more important.
The first candidate to be listed was Jean-Claire Todibo. Todibo is a Barcelona defender, and has been recognized for its potential even before moving to Nice. Todibo is a special defender, which is unique to Barcelona and boasts speed and foot skills. Having failed to display his potential in Barcelona, Todibo displayed stellar performance in Nice, France after moving to Germany and other leagues, drawing attention from big clubs again. Manchester United, Chelsea, and Newcastle also showed interest in recruiting Todibo to reinforce their defense.
The Daily Mail of England reported Tottenham’s interest in signing Todibo, a Nice center back, for further talks. Todibo is a popular player in Nice and is valued at around £35 million (W57 billion). It may be a lot to invest in in January, but Tottenham and his agent seem to have already held further talks. Todibo is reportedly eager to join Tottenham. However, Todibo has failed to make progress in negotiations due to Nice’s high transfer fee demands and other interests from its rivals.
Todibo was excluded from the candidate and Dragusin appeared. Dragusin was a former Juventus youth team and steadily built his career through loans. His potential exploded in Genoa. Dragusin, who succeeded in a full transfer this season after renting last season, began to draw attention as he was active in the core of the Genoa defense.
His strengths include fast speed, hard physical struggle, and right to serve, and he is one of the best defenders in Serie A as well. He is evaluated as having good capabilities that can be compared with Kim Min-jae, who played in the Serie A stage last season. He has been playing hard as a key defender this season as well. He rarely allows dribbles to break through, but he has displayed outstanding skills in terms of scope of defense cover and right to provide. Andrea Pirlo, who coached him in the past, also expressed high expectations for his potential.
However, it was not easy to recruit Dragusin. Interviews with Dragusin’s agent, negotiations on transfer fees, and the emergence of rival teams held him back. The U.K.’s Evening Standard reported that Dragusin’s agent admitted Tottenham’s contact, but said he did not want to leave Genoa. According to the Evening Standard, Dragusin’s agent Florin Manaea said Dragusin only thinks about growth prospects and the team he can play for. Anyway, he has no intention of leaving Genoa in the middle of the season. The English Premier League (EPL) teams have contacted him, but he has no plans to leave at this time.
Italy’s Il Martino also reported Manaea’s additional interview, in which Manaea said, “If Dragusin leaves now, it will feel like he is leaving Genoa unfinished,” adding that it is not the right time for him to leave immediately. “He wants to play for a team like Inter Milan or AC Milan. Or he should head to the best team in the EPL. He said, “I got a call from Saudi Arabia, but I didn’t even want to hear that news,” leaving open the possibility for several destinations.
The transfer fee was also high. Tottenham is trying to lower the transfer fee, but Genoah stuck to more than 30 million euros. Romano also said, “Genoah wants a guarantee of 30 million euros, and Tottenham will start bidding.” If Bayern decides to pay the transfer fee quickly instead of Tottenham, the transfer window could change.
Several competing teams also appeared. Italy’s Corriere dello Sport said, “There are claims that Napoli could include a player in the deal to buy Dragusin,” adding, “Napoli has not given up on Dragusin, which Tottenham is interested in. They made the offer official. The offer of 13 million euros and a player was not accepted, but Napoli is willing to invest an additional amount. Tottenham is still on the top of the list, but President Aurelio de Laurentis said he has no intention of giving up on recruiting Dragusin.”
It was safe to say that Napoli’s interest was actually the butterfly effect of Kim Min-jae’s transfer. In the 2022-2023 season, Kim Min-jae joined the team and contributed greatly to the club’s winning Serie A title for the first time in 33 years. At that time, when Kim Min-jae moved to Italy’s Serie A Napoli, one of the five major leagues in Europe, there were questions about whether he could do well against stronger teams and stronger players, but he erased these concerns with his skills.
Having taken the lead as a center back, Kim firmly took charge of Napoli’s rear defense along with his partner Amir Rahmani. Kim Min-jae showed overwhelming control over ball in the air, fast speed, and consistent build-up capability, and played in 35 league games and 30 of them full-time. In the end, Napoli lifted the trophy for the first time since the 1989-1990 season, and Kim Min-jae also won the Serie A title of best defender.
Napoli had to fill Kim Min-jae’s void immediately. When Kim Min-jae’s buyout was known in the summer transfer market, Bayern Munich immediately started to recruit Kim Min-jae. Bayern put in a lot of effort and paid the buyout amount to confirm the recruitment of Kim Min-jae. Napoli was considering several players as substitutes. Itakura Go, Giorgio Scalvini, and Antonio Silva were nominated, but Napoli, who had financial problems, could not invest much money and wanted to fill Kim Min-jae’s void by recruiting Natang.
However, Natang failed to recruit him. Unlike his overwhelming lead last season, Napoli is eighth in the league this season, and in particular, the team lost only 28 points in the previous season, only to lose 21 points in just 18 games this season. In the end, Napoli started recruiting defenders again this winter to rebuild their defense, and this move attempted to hinder Tottenham’s first recruitment in the winter transfer market. However, it failed.
Bayern has also joined the campaign. The Bavarian Football of Germany reported that “Romanian media Gazeta Sporturilur said Bayern could fight to recruit Dragusin.” Napoli and Tottenham, which previously participated in the campaign, are persuading Genoa to cut its demand for transfer fees. Bayern will be interested in immediately recruiting Dragusin. In addition, Bayern said it has no financial problem paying the 30 million euros that Genoa demanded,” adding that Bayern could change the game of recruiting Dragusin.
Reporter Florian Flettenberg, who is familiar with Bayern’s news, also said on social media that “Bayern has been notified of the transfer details for Dragusin” and is considering recruiting Dragusin. Bayern is a tricky competitor for Tottenham as it desperately needed to recruit a center back in the transfer market this winter. Although it had three world-class center backs, Kim Min-jae, Dayot Upamecano, and Mathias Duricht, only Kim Min-jae had a difficult first half to keep his starting position as Duricht and Upamecano left due to continuous injuries. In particular, considering that Kim Min-jae left the team to participate in the Asian Cup until February, the recruitment of the center back was essential to overcome the team’s unexpected situation and participated in recruiting Dragusin.
There was even a news that Bayern beat Tottenham and was ahead of Tottenham in recruitment. Italy’s Gazeta delo Sport said, “Bayern has overtaken Tottenham in the recruitment match for Genoa defender Dragusin. Bayern offers a €5 million bonus for a €25 million transfer guarantee, and will meet Genoa’s demand of €30 million,” adding that Bayern is leading the bid to recruit Dragusin by accepting Genoa’s demand. However, a report by Gazeta delo Sport at the time also said Bayern’s negotiations were not completely over. Gazeta delo Sport also explained that negotiations are still underway, saying, “We are not in a hurry to work on the deal, and the possibility of the deal being completed in the next few hours has been ruled out because of the large amount.” However, Tottenham added an offer at the last minute, reversing the situation.
In addition to Napoli and Bayern, there were additional competitors, but there was also news that Dragusin was only interested in going to Tottenham and failed to make an offer. Britain’s Give Me Sports said, “Bayern offered an official offer to Genoa to take Dragusin away. La Liga’s big club Barcelona was also willing to participate in the race to recruit Dragusin, and tried to offer conditions similar to Tottenham’s,” adding that Barcelona had also sought to participate in the race to recruit Dragusin at the last minute.
In the end, Tottenham overcame the disturbance of big clubs and succeeded in the final agreement to recruit Dragusin, and had three young and promising defenders in the defense: Romero, Pantherpen, and Dragusin.
Dragousin’s childhood dream was behind his choice of Tottenham instead of Bayern. England’s TBR Football reported on the 10th that Dragousin’s mother may have already revealed why he chose Tottenham instead of Bayern. TBR Football said, “Tottenham beat Bayern to recruit Dragousin. They agreed with Genoa. Dragousin decided to join Tottenham, not the Bundesliga champions, putting an end to rumors of an eventful move. Everyone may have been surprised by his decision, but his mother already revealed the reason for his choice last November.”
Dragousin’s mother said in an interview in November, “He really wants to go to England. That’s his childhood dream,” adding that Dragousin had really wanted to move to the English Premier League. Dragousin seems to have chosen to move to the EPL instead of Bayern, which is more likely to win than Tottenham.
Dragusin’s agent was also surprised by the decision. Romano reported the reaction of Pauline Manaea, who said, “I can’t believe we turned down Munich. Dragusin had already made an appointment with Tottenham and decided to respect it. I’m still shocked.”
“The decision was made at 8 a.m. We decided to go to Tottenham, and it was suspended because of an offer from Munich. I was on my way to the airport, but I had to think carefully and evaluate it. Munich is one of the biggest clubs in the world. So I still can’t believe I rejected Munich,” he said. “But this was the decision of Dragusin and his family. I explained to Munich that it was difficult to change the decision at the last minute.”
Besides, Postecoglou’s aggressive appeal and the possibility of starting competition also affected his choice. Dragousin said on his website, “I listened to Tottenham’s interest and decided to join. I thought this was the best step for my career.” And he mentioned Postecoglou. “Coach Postecoglou really wanted me. He said he liked the way I played and thought I was right for this team. This definitely helped me, and as soon as he talked to me, I felt a really good relationship with him. I like football with a high line of defense, offense, and a lot of room to defend at the back. I’m really looking forward to it,” he stressed.
Dragusin reunites with Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski, who he played with at Juventus. He added, “It’s a big step for me, but I think it’s the right step. I wanted to play football at the highest level and I wanted to play in the Premier League. So all my dreams came true, and I just have high expectations.”
FCB Inside, a German media outlet, said, “Dragusin seems to have chosen to go to Tottenham because he thought he was more likely to have more playing time for Tottenham than for Bayern Munich. Dragusin must have experienced at Juventus and thought he would sit on the bench too often for Bayern Munich. He would have been concerned that other clubs should start again at a lower level in a year or two,” explaining that Bayern center backs such as Kim Min-jae had a great presence.
Germany’s Sport 1 said, “Dragusin is the gemstone that Bayern missed. Bayern missed a promising defender who could become a top-class player. Its unique hairstyle, which stands over 190 centimeters tall and features a headband, is not the only reason why Dragusin can be compared to van Dijk. Dragusin has committed 14 fouls this season, recording a relatively small number of fouls and receiving only one warning.” In aerial ball duels, Dragusin displayed strength by recording a winning rate of 70 percent. Statistics show that it is not unreasonable to compare the results with van Dijk. Dragusin allowed dribble breakthrough only once in 19 Serie A matches this season. He displayed the second best dribble blocking ability after van Dijk, who never allowed dribble breakthrough among players who played in more than 15 games in the European five major leagues,” expressing regret to Bayern, which missed Dragusin.
“Dragusin, dubbed ‘Jenoah’s bodyguard,’ proved his worth with his outstanding performances in Serie B last season,” European soccer journalist Mina Rooki said on BBC. “He played in all league games, and Genoa was promoted to the top division by boasting a solid defense for the second time. He has also made remarkable progress in Serie A as a player.”
And he praised Dragusin for being dignified in the air, aggressive when marking, quick to clear, and strong in set-pieces. He has improved his handling of the ball, is quick and intelligent in positioning, and it is almost impossible for strikers to dribble past him. More importantly, he plays with confidence, is never threatened by his opponents, and succeeds at the big moments.
Meanwhile, Dragusin was at the center of controversy as soon as he transferred. Britain’s Sports Bible reported on the 12th that Dragusin admitted that the next Tottenham player was already dreaming of joining another club. Dragusin’s comments surprised Tottenham fans before the official announcement of Dragusin’s recruitment. Sports Bible reported that Dragusin’s agent said that Dragusin, who is about to join Tottenham, already wants to move to another club. Florin Manaea said that Tottenham could already see the club as a potential stepping stone.
Dragousin’s agent Manaea said in a recent interview, “Bayern is one of the biggest clubs, but Dragousin’s dreams are Real Madrid and Barcelona.” “If he had more age and experience, he might have decided to move to Bayern, but he considered age and competition,” he said, adding that Dragousin chose Tottenham, a relatively competitive team due to his young age and competition.
Tottenham fans are bound to be angry from the confirmation of the transfer. It is hard for fans to hear the agent’s remarks that his dream is to go to Real and Barcelona through a promising defender who signed a contract for more than five years. Some fans responded on SNS, “Are we stepping stones,” “Save a new agent,” and “The agent needs to shut up.”
Tottenham is experiencing a busy winter. Immediately after Timo Werner, it confirmed Dragusin, its second recruit, and plans for the transfer market are going smoothly. Tottenham announced the recruitment of Timo Werner through its official website on Thursday. Tottenham said, “We are happy to announce the signing of Werner on loan. Werner will join the team on loan until the end of the season, and there is also a complete transfer option in the summer. He will wear No. 16 jersey,” according to the news of Werner’s transfer.
The Sun released a few list consisting of 4-3-3. In the first lineup, Brazilian striker Hisharlissong, his current mainstay, was expected to be at the center forward, followed by Werner on the left and Son on the right. However, in this case, chances are slim as Son will be pushed back from the position. Three midfielders were set up as a combination of goalkeeper Oliver Skipp, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Giovanni Rossellso. Destiny Udogi and Pedro Pororo were placed at the side of the defense, and Itakura and Dragusin were placed at the center back. The goalkeeper was Guglielmo Vicario.
In the second expected lineup, Hisharlisson was expected to go down to the bench and Son Heung-min was expected to be on the one-top. Werner was expected to be in charge of the left and Brennan Johnson was expected to be in charge of the right side. If Werner is active, such formation is the most likely. It is not easy for Son Heung-min to lose his position. There was also a change in the midfield. Instead of Rossellso, Yves Bissouma predicted that he would work with Skip and Bentancur. The defense, including Vicario goalkeeper, was not different from the previous prediction. However, it will be difficult for Panderpen and Romero to completely push back.
He is also preparing to sign Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino for the third time. The U.K.’s Express reported that “Tottenham is moving forward with its plan to make Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino angry,” adding that “Tottenham is likely to bring even more misery to Pochettino by signing Gallagher, Chelsea’s most important player this season. Postecoglou expressed interest in recruiting Gallagher by saying that he is pursuing a plan to sign Chelsea’s midfielder with massive spending this month.”
It is not the first time that Tottenham is interested in recruiting Gallagher. As a player who had been on the list for Tottenham’s recruitment ahead of this winter’s transfer market, Tottenham wanted to recruit Gallagher even during the last summer’s transfer market, but it was not successful. 헤라카지노주소
“I can’t guarantee that Gallagher will stay with us even after tomorrow,” Pochettino said in a recent interview. “Anything can happen in soccer, which is a matter between the club and the player. Only the players and the club can guarantee that. Now that his contract is only about one year and a half away, it is up to the players rather than the club. He could stay. I just make the best decision for the team and the players,” he said.
In the end, as there was no news of Gallagher and Chelsea’s renewal of their contract, and Pochettino also expressed doubts about whether they would stay, Tottenham seems to be more actively pursuing plans to reinforce the midfield by recruiting Gallagher.
The Express reported: ‘Chelsea need to reinforce their defense, call for player number nine, and further reinforcements. This will require sales. Tottenham are seeking to sign Gallagher and have hinted that Chelsea would consider selling him rather than renewing his contract with Gallagher in order to raise funds. Gallagher is at the top of the list of candidates for Tottenham midfielder recruitment, and his departure will be a huge blow to Pochettino.’
If Tottenham recruits Gallagher, it is actually a perfect transfer market. It is an opportunity to leap to the championship once again in the second half of the year with all the players in the necessary positions. However, it is not easy to conclude the negotiations right away as there are reports that Chelsea will ask for a large amount of Gallagher’s transfer fee.
