Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis insists Radu Dragusin turned down a bigger contract at the Serie A champions in favour of joining Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League instead.
Much has been made of Tottenham Hotspur beating Bayern Munich to one of Europe’s most exciting young central defenders. But it’s not only the Bavarian giants who were left disappointed by that £26 million January deal.
Napoli, HITC Football were informed a month ago, wanted Radu Dragusin too.
So much so, the Scudetto holders offered the Romania international a larger wage than was being put forward in England, Dragusin eventually accepting the smaller figure as he looked to fulfil a ‘childhood dream’ in North London.
Tottenham Hotspur win race for Radu Dragusin
“There are clubs that are more renowned they have more attraction. And I never get angry (about that),” De Laurentiis tells Tuttomercatoweb, initially referencing Luis Enrique’s decision to choose Paris Saint-Germain over the Partenopei last summer.
“See also Dragusin, to whom I offered more money than Tottenham. He preferred England even over Bayern. And you can’t fight (that desire).”
Dragusin has made only a few brief cameo appearances in the Premier League so far. Cristian Romero’s card-happy ways mean a first start is unlikely to be too far away, however, for a 6ft 3ins giant of a centre-half who’s presence in both boxes and trademark diagonal passes have earned comparisons with Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk.
‘Extraordinary for a centre-back’
“Dragusin is a phenomenon of Romanian football and a prototype, the model of the Romanian footballer,” compatriot Vlad Chiriches – who represented Tottenham between 2013 and 2015 – tells Fanatik.
“No, it’s not surprising at all (that Tottenham signed him). It is a big club with ambitions, even if they haven’t won a title recently. It’s an important club in England with an incredible infrastructure. It’s amazing that Radu is there.
“I don’t want to talk about pitfalls. I think he has shown so far that he can cope in tough situations and at good clubs. Everything he has done so far, I think has been very good and he has people with him who help him mentally.
“I see him as a strong, aggressive central defender. I think these are his main qualities, and they are extraordinary for a centre-back.”
In addition to Napoli and Bayern Munich, Newcastle United also missed out on Dragusin, as confirmed by the 21-year-old’s headline-hogging agent.
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