Director responds to rumours of £25m Newcastle bid as Arsenal hold talks

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Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are allegedly in talks to sign Radu Dragusin but Genoa’s sporting director is rubbishing claims of a £25 million bid from Premier League giants Newcastle United. 

Last week, reports coming out of Romania indicated that Newcastle United had made the first move for Radu Dragusin. One of Europe’s most keenly-admired central defensive talents. 

The Magpies reportedly submitted a ‘written offer’ after agreeing to meet Genoa’s £25 million asking price. That, though, is news to Marco Ottolini, the Grifone director telling DAZN that no bids have yet arrived on his desk. 

“There isn’t any type of offer,” Ottolini explains. “We are absolutely not thinking about (selling him).” 

Tottenham, Newcastle and Arsenal in talks

The Genoa chief does, however, admit that discussions over Dragusin’s future are an almost daily occurrence right now. In addition to Newcastle, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have held talks with the one-time Juventus prospect, according to Dragusin’s always-outspoken representative Florin Manea. 

“We’re not thinking about the January transfer market,” Ottolini adds.

“But it’s clear that a player born in 2002 – with this physicality, this speed and these characteristics – is being looked at by all of Europe. There are many people with whom we have weekly contact.” 

Radu Dragusin sent Arsenal warning

Dragusin is a right-sided centre-half by trade. As such, with Tottenham prioritising a left-footer to provide competition for the injured Micky van de Ven, Spurs appear to be the least likely of the aforementioned Premier League trio to strike a deal with Genoa at present. 

One former Romania forward, meanwhile, would prefer to see Dragusin join Newcastle instead of Arsenal due to the towering presence of one WIlliam Saliba at the heart of Mikel Arteta’s table-topping backline. 

“It’s hard for me to say if he would play at Arsenal. I don’t know. Thinking about who is playing there, at this moment it would be difficult,” former Romania ace Florin Gardos tells Fanatik.

“He could play at Newcastle, who don’t have centre-backs at that level at the moment. At Arsenal, it is more difficult because there is Saliba. And at the moment, (Saliba) is in the top five in the world.”