Tottenham defender Radu Dragusin has been heavily linked with a move back to Serie A.
Tottenham Hotspur have mainly focused on loaning out players and departures in the January transfer window thus far.
Spurs are looking to perhaps move on some fringe players before replacing them with fresh blood in Thomas Frank’s squad. The Danish tactician requires tools to work with and get Tottenham’s season back on track after they have dropped to 14th in the Premier League.
The north Londoners have sold Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace in the first week of the winter transfer window, and Mohammed Kudus’ long-term quad injury has now heightened the need to sign a winger before the window slams shut. There are a few players who want to leave the club to get regular game time elsewhere, and surprisingly, they are not short of suitors. And one of those is Radu Dragusin.
Napoli eye move for Radu Dragusin
Radu Dragusin has recently returned from nearly a year out with an ACL injury. The central defender has been included in Tottenham’s last six matchday squads despite coming off the bench just once. After returning from a long layoff, it is quite natural for a player to seek regular minutes, and Dragusin’s case is no different.
Whether the Romanian international is likely to be given more first-team opportunities across competitions under Frank remains to be seen, but it is clear he is a coveted commodity in Serie A. Relegation-battling Fiorentina have been keen on signing the 23-year-old, while fellow Serie A side AS Roma have stepped up their interest in recent days. And now there has been a new entrant in the race for the defender’s signature.
According to Italian journalist Mirko Di Natale on X, Napoli have recently enquired about Dragusin. AS Roma are still the favourites to sign him, but negotiations have come to a standstill. There is currently no agreement on the structure of the deal (loan with option to buy) with Roma, leaving the door open for rivals Napoli to swoop in for the Tottenham defender.
Dragusin, who arrived at Spurs from Genoa in January 2024, is currently fourth in the pecking order behind Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, and Kevin Danso. With Spurs eliminated from both domestic cup competitions, the Champions League remains the only tournament other than the Premier League for Frank and Co. to compete in. This means a clear reduction in the number of games and a lesser prospect of minutes for a squad player like Dragusin.
With the World Cup taking place later this year, players are desperate to play regularly and make it into their respective national teams’ squads. Having not seen action on the pitch for almost a year, it is clear why Dragusin wants to leave Spurs and go out on loan. And Napoli, who operate in a back-three system under Antonio Conte, could be an ideal destination for the Romanian star.
However, it all depends on whether Frank and Spurs sanction Dragusin’s temporary exit this month.
