Genoa’s general manager Andres Blazquez is already tipping Radu Dragusin for a Tottenham Hotspur departure while insisting that the £26 million January signing ‘won’t stay too long’ at the Premier League outfit.
After fighting off competition from not only Bayern Munich but from Napoli and AC Milan too, Tottenham’s eye-catching acquisition of one of Europe’s most highly-rated central defenders is proof that, even after a difficult couple of seasons, Spurs still possess plenty of ‘pulling power’.
Radu Dragusin, HITC Football understands, opted to join Ange Postecoglou’s North London revelation despite interest from a number of Champions League clubs.
But Andres Blazquez, who watched Dragusin blossom at Genoa, is not expecting to see the Romania international spend the next decade or so at the heart of Tottenham’s backline, insisting that Spurs are not so much his ‘final destination’ but a stepping stone on the path to something even bigger.
Tottenham Hotspur sign Radu Dragusin for £26m
“Dragusin has great potential,” Blazquez tells GSP. “I think he won’t stay too long at Spurs. Radu will reach a top-five European team.
“I think Tottenham will not be the final destination of his career. I see him at a top-five team in Europe in the future.”
Florin Manea, Dragusin’s agent, rather unhelpfully revealed last week that his client dreams of representing Barcelona or Real Madrid in the future (Digi Sport). Fortunately for Spurs, Dragusin has plenty of time on his side at the age of just 21.
And, if he does attract interest from the Spanish giants at some point down the line, that will be because he has succeeded in fulfilling his vast potential in the English capital.
From Serie A to the Premier League
“We quickly realized that he had great potential to grow. He is a very intelligent, professional boy and he is the only one who played all the minutes this season,” Blazquez adds.
“If he didn’t move now, Dragusin would certainly have increased in value and, after participating in Euro 2024, we would have sold him even more expensively. Somewhere at 40 to 50 million euros.
“We would have gotten more money, and Radu’s contract would have been better. But we respected his desire to play in the Premier League.
“Dragusin is a complete player in all aspects. He chose Tottenham, although at Bayern it was better for everyone. Maybe Napoli was also good. We take into account the player’s desire, because we don’t want them to fail.”
Dragusin made his Tottenham debut – alongside Timo Werner – in Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Manchester United.
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