Spurs Eye Move for Talented Romanian Defender – Rating the Rumour | OneFootball

Genoa Defender to Help Spurs’ Defensive Depth?

Welcome back to Rating the Rumour, which does exactly what it says on the tin. We’ll be taking the biggest transfer rumours related to Premier League teams and rating the likelihood of the moves coming to fruition.

The final rating will be decided based on the potential fit of the player into the rumoured buying club, the need for that club to sign a player for the position played, whether the player is of the level required by the club, whether the club could afford the rumoured price and whether or not the player is even likely to be available for transfer.

We will not factor in the reliability of the rumour, as it would likely cause mass amounts of crying from outlets, journalists, and “journalists” who would have to be denounced as spoofers.

With the ground rules laid out, let’s look at Radu Dragusin to Tottenham which has been reported by the ultra-reliable Mike McGrath of the Telegraph.

Fit

Dragusin can play all across a back four and is also comfortable in any role in a back three. He is front-footed, aggressive, and loves to defend, which would make him a good fit with Tottenham’s starting central pair of Cristian Romero and Micky Van de Ven. Like Romero, he’s making his name at Genoa and has a stint at Juventus on his CV.

He’s the type of defender who doesn’t light up the stat sheet because he tends to read the game well and anticipate things before they happen, so he doesn’t stand out in terms of defensive actions statistically but will always shine when you watch him play.

He models his game on Virgil Van Dijk and there are clear similarities in how he uses his body, his aerial dominance, and his stand-out 1v1 defending.

He would provide Tottenham with a third starter quality central defender who could act as a back-up to both Romero and Van de Ven, or he could partner the pair if Ange Postecoglou wanted to switch to a back three.

Fit Rating – 2/2

Need

Tottenham have played actual Premier League games with Emerson Royal and Ben Davies lining up in central defence for them so there is no question they are in need of another central defender.

It’s clear that Postecoglou does not fancy Eric Dier at the heart of his defence and with the current injury to Van de Ven, plus Romero’s own injury and suspension issues which crop up multiple times a season, Tottenham need to invest in this position.

Need Rating – 2/2

Level

This is Dragusin’s first full season as an every-game starter in Serie A, and he is shining in a newly promoted Genoa team. He was their stand-out player during last season’s promotion chase in Serie B and has shown that the step-up has not been an issue.

Unlike his previous season in the top flight, when he split the year between loans at Sampdoria and Salernitana, he does not have to fight for minutes with Genoa manager Alberto Gilardino making him the lynchpin of his defence in partnership with his former Juventus team-mate Koni De Winter who joined him at I Rossoblù this past summer having joined Juventus at the same time in 2018.

Dragusin has long been tagged as a player of enormous potential but as yet he has not had the opportunity to prove himself on the biggest of stages in European competition. He is, however, a regular at the international level and at just 21 is clearly someone with massive room for development just like summer signing Van de Ven.

Level Rating – 1/2

Affordability

The rumoured price on Dragusin is £26mil which would make him very affordable for a club of Tottenham’s financial means. That fee would represent a significant profit for Genoa, who paid £7mil to bring him to the club after his initial loan fee proved such a success.

That bargain price was the result of Juventus being desperately in need of cash, as was Genoa’s heist for De Winter, and gives them a healthy profit margin should the player move in January.

Affordability Rating – 2/2

For Sale?

According to Dragusin’s agent, he is available. According to Genoa’s Sporting Director, he is not. The truth will be somewhere in the middle. Genoa don’t want to sell, they want to build a top-class, long-term defence of Dragusin, De Winter, and Alan Matturo. But they understand that some players will outgrow them and want to move on.

Dragusin will be sold if someone meets the asking price, and given Genoa have Matturo waiting in the wings they are at least covered for Dragusin’s eventual departure.

Availability Rating – 2/2

Final Rating

This one grades out at a 9/10. As always, that doesn’t mean it will happen but it’s a rumour that makes sense. Given Mike McGrath’s track record, we can assume there is significant truth to the rumour and thus applaud Tottenham for once again identifying a player that is well suited to how they want to play.