Tottenham Hotspur are on the verge of signing Radu Dragucin.
European soccer transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano wrote on his social media account on Wednesday (Nov. 11), "All the documents have been finalized between Genoa and Tottenham for the deal of Dragucin. Dragucin completed his medical yesterday. Coach Enze Postecoglou will get the new center back he wanted."
Dragusin is a former Juventus youth product. He made his debut for the Bianconeri but failed to establish himself and went out on loan to gain experience. He joined Genoa on loan last season and performed well. Genoa triggered the compulsory transfer clause and kept Dragucin. He became a regular starter and helped Genoa win promotion. This season, he's been the first-choice center back.
Dragusin plays a style of defense that uses good physicality to overwhelm opponents. He doesn't have the quickest feet and isn't a great build-up player. However, he's a good player to have as a backup center back.
Tottenham have fond memories of a former Juventus player. Rodrigo Bentancur wore a Tottenham shirt in the 2021-22 season. His playing time at Juventus was dwindling and he was unhappy. Tottenham, in need of midfield reinforcements, approached Bentancur and a deal was struck. Bentancur joined Spurs during the season, but only played 17 games and provided four assists.
Bentancur suffered a major injury last season. He tore his ACL in his left knee and was sidelined for an extended period of time before returning this season. However, shortly after his return, he was injured again after a dangerous tackle by Matt Cash. Fortunately, he recovered quickly and was back on the field. Bentancur is the engine in Tottenham's midfield. He anchors the midfield with good forward movement and ball distribution.
Dejan Kulusevski joined Tottenham in the 2021-22 winter transfer window alongside Bentancur. He had been underwhelming at Juventus and needed a breakthrough. Kulusebski came to Tottenham on loan. In his first season, his dribbling became a new weapon for Tottenham. Kuluczewski often threatened with good runs down the right flank. However, over time, opponents learned his dribbling patterns and his effectiveness diminished.
Ahead of this season, Tottenham sold Kulusebski outright. Head coach Enze Postecoglou has utilized Kulusebski in a variety of ways. When James Maddison went down with an injury, he was used as an attacking midfielder, and Kuluczewski did his job despite not being his primary position. He is now an integral part of the Spurs team.
Spurs lost their starting center backs when Mickey van der Vaart and Cristian Romero were injured at the same time. Luckily, Van der Vaart is recovering quickly and is set to return. Van der Vaart was named to the substitutes' bench against Burnley in the EFL Cup, while Romero could return against Manchester United. If van der Vaart and Romelu Lukaku return, Dragucin is likely to start on the bench. With Romelu Lukaku always a red card risk, Dragucin is expected to fill the void at center back whenever needed.
