Spurs beat out Bayern to sign Genoa defender Dragusin
Tottenham Hotspur has edged out Bayern Munich to sign highly rated Genoa defender Radu Dragusin. The German giants looked set to rival Spurs for the center back in recent days. Napoli also had a strong interest in potentially grabbing the defender as well. However, the player’s agent recently revealed that he did not want to break a promise to the Premier League club.
“We can’t believe we turned down Bayern Munich,” reportedly claimed Dragusin’s agent. “Radu had given his word to Spurs and chose to respect this. We’re all still mind-blown a bit.”
Soccer transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the defender flew to London on Wednesday to complete medical tests. Assuming everything goes well, Dragusin will then officially sign on as a Spurs player. The North London outfit will pay Genoa up to $33 million to sign the star. This includes up to $5.5 million in potential add-ons. Dragusin is set to receive a five-and-a-half-year contract with Spurs, worth over $3 million per season.
Spurs needed to add reinforcements during injury crisis
Dragusin is seen as one of the top available central defenders in the January transfer market. The 21-year-old Romanian only just joined Genoa from Juventus back in July. The Griffen paid the Old Lady around $6 million for the defender. This means that Genoa, a team currently owned by 777 Partners, has made a massive profit on Dragusin in just six months.
The Romania international will now soon arrive at his new club during a crucial time. Spurs have suffered a series of injuries throughout the squad, but particularly in defense.
Mickey van de Ven has not played since suffering a hamstring injury during a defeat to Chelsea in early November. The Dutch defender, however, was on the bench for Tottenham’s recent FA Cup clash with Burnley earlier this week.
Cristian Romero is also currently nursing a hamstring injury as well. The Argentine defender has missed his club’s last three matches due to the issue. Dragusin will provide cover for the dynamic duo while they regain fitness from their specific injuries. Spurs will be hoping to finalize Dragusin’s move as soon as possible so he can be in the team to face Manchester United on Sunday, January 14th.
Radu Dragusin moves to Tottenham in a slew of moves
Along with tying up a deal to sign the center back, Spurs will also be sending Djed Spence to Genoa. The right-back is set to sign with the Italian side on an initial loan. However, Genoa does have the option to make the transfer permanent after the current campaign. The Standard reports that this purchase option will be for about $10.8 million.
Dragusin is set to join Timo Werner as a new addition to the Spurs squad. The German international recently signed on with the north London club in a six-month loan deal. Spurs are covering all of Werner’s wages while he is with the club.
Much like the Spence situation, Tottenham also has an option to make Werner’s deal permanent as well. The aforementioned news outlet claims that the Premier League side can trigger the deal for around $18.5 million. Werner previously underperformed at Chelsea but is looking to get back on track with his new team.
PHOTOS: IMAGO.