Tottenham Hotspur completed the signing of defender Radu Dragusin in January after a month-long pursuit of the player.
Despite last-minute interest from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, the Romanian centre-back opted for the English club, penning a contract until June 2030.
In securing Dragusin’s services, Spurs agreed to a transfer fee of €25 million plus an additional €5 million in add-ons with Genoa, making him the most expensive Romanian footballer to date.
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou played a pivotal role in clinching the deal, engaging in discussions with the player on four occasions and persuading him to join their project over the German side.
The young defender was a regular player for Genoa, having started all 19 games in Serie A before making a switch to the Premier League.
One might speculate that the Italian side would not be pleased with the departure of their asset. However, Genoa’s Chief Executive Officer, Andres Blazquez, expressed satisfaction with the deal.
Speaking to the Italian news outlet Tutto Mercato Web, Blazquez claimed that he is happy with regarding the completed transfer saga:
“We could not do anything until we freed up some salaries or sold a player. We were forced to sell in order to do something. We evaluated the player who had the most important market, in a position where we were better off, was Dragusin.
“He received a very important offer on a personal level and we on a corporate level. We tried to get as much as possible for him knowing that his position was best covered.
We are happy with this transfer, of course we will miss Radu both on a personal and on a sporting level, he is a great professional but it is also a prestige to sell to a club like Tottenham having also had offers from Bayern. That says a lot about the job Spurs has done.”
Genoa’s CEO mentioned they would miss Dragusin at the club but also admitted that the deal benefits all parties involved.
Blazquez acknowledged that while Genoa will miss Dragusin, the deal benefits all parties involved. Tottenham secured their desired defender, while Dragusin and Genoa obtained favourable deals, fulfilling his aspiration of competing in the Premier League.
Since arriving in North London, the new Spurs number 6 has made three appearances, albeit with limited playing time. He is yet to earn his first start for the club which will not come easy given the outstanding form Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero are in.
