Agent confirms Tottenham have made ‘contact’ for Serie A star amid Prem ‘dream’; Man Utd, Newcastle also in chase

ScoreLive December 15, 2023 0

The agent of Genoa star Radu Dragusin has confirmed Premier League sides have been in touch about a possible transfer, as Tottenham Hotspur battle Manchester United and Newcastle United for his signing.

Dragusin is a 21-year-old defender who came through the ranks at Juventus after moving from his native Romania in August 2018. However, he only made four first-team appearances for Juve, as after graduating from their academy he was shipped out on loan to Sampdoria, Salernitana and Genoa.

The versatile star – who usually plays as a centre-half but can also operate as a full-back on either side – spent last season on loan at Genoa. He established himself as a crucial part of their first team, playing a full 90 minutes in 37 of their 38 league games and chipping in with four goals.

Dragusin’s solid performances in defence helped Genoa finish second in Serie B and gain automatic promotion back to the Italian top flight.

This prompted Genoa to spend €5.5m in the summer to sign him permanently. Dragusin remains integral for them, having played every single minute of their league campaign so far.

But the club is at growing risk of losing the 12-time Romania international. In recent weeks he has been linked with a host of English sides, including Man Utd, Newcastle and Arsenal.

At this moment in time, it is Tottenham who are best-placed to bring Dragusin to the Prem. On Monday, it emerged that Ange Postecoglou’s side are stepping up their pursuit of him, with bolstering the defence a priority following the injury to Micky van de Ven.

In an interview with Italian source TuttoJuve, Dragusin’s agent, Florin Manea, has revealed several teams have been in touch about a potential deal, which is highly likely to include Spurs.

Radu Dragusin agent opens up on transfer talks

“I can say that there have been contacts, because he’s a player that several clubs like, but at the moment there are no official offers,” the representative said. “He wants to finish the season with Genoa, then he will be focused on the Euros (Euro 2024) with his national team.

“We will talk with the club and we will take stock of the situation, so as to understand how things can evolve.”

Fellow Italian outlet Calciomercato have revealed that it is Manea’s ‘dream’ to secure Dragusin a Prem transfer. After all, this would represent a fantastic next step in the young player’s career. Plus, there have not been too many Romanians who have featured in the Prem, with Dan Petrescu, Adrian Mutu and Costel Pantilimon some notable examples.

Genoa’s sporting director, Marco Ottolino, recently stated that he is ‘absolutely not’ thinking about selling Dragusin in the winter window.

As such, it seems the likes of Spurs, Man Utd and Newcastle will have to wait until the end of the season before they can get their hands on him.

Genoa are hoping to make a big profit when selling Dragusin. After paying €5.5m for him earlier this year, they will reportedly not consider any offer worth less than €30m (£25.7m).

Of course, by then Van De Ven will have returned to Postecoglou’s starting eleven, but Eric Dier could depart North London as he is heading towards the end of his contract. Dragusin could become a solid replacement for the Englishman at Spurs.

Meanwhile, Teddy Sheringham has sung the praises of one Spurs ace and also criticised an Arsenal forward.