Ange Postecoglou wants his players to be, above all, “good people” — and in Radu Dragusin, Tottenham believe they have signed another character who fits the ethos of the Australian’s revolution.
“He’s capable of achieving things others didn’t, because he’s very strong morally,” said Romanian football expert Emanuel Rosu, who has followed Dragusin’s career since he was a teenager and points to the 21-year-old’s self-belief.
“He went to Sampdoria [on loan] from Juventus, he went to Salernitana [on another loan]. He didn’t have impressive stints there, but he always believed in his qualities.
"He took another step back, went to Serie B with Genoa and a few thought, ‘Okay, in a few years he will be in the Romanian league’. But look what happened: this transfer is a win for moral strength and for self-confidence over anything else.”
Dragusin completed his move to Spurs in a deal worth up to €30million (£25.8m) on Thursday, with Djed Spence heading the other way on loan until the end of the season.
Although we are just 11 days into January, the transfer has felt like a saga, not least because Bayern Munich made a late attempt to hijack Spurs’s deal, agreeing a fee with Genoa late on Tuesday and offering Dragusin a significantly higher salary, according to Florin Manea, the defender’s agent.
“He just turned down Bayern Munich, maybe a bigger club, just because he gave his word that he would sign for Tottenham, so that speaks volumes about his character,” said Cristian Munteanu, a Romanian journalist for iAMsport, who has also followed Dragusin’s rise.
The decision to reject Bayern bodes well for Dragusin’s chances of being a success for Postecoglou’s Spurs, where an element of zeal is required to buy-in to the head coach’s uncompromising attacking football and particularly to play in his ultra-high defensive line.
According to Manea, who has been vocal throughout the saga, winning guaranteed trophies at Bayern would have meant less to Dragusin if he was sitting on the bench, but he should be confident of game time at Spurs, given how much of the campaign Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have already missed.
After moving to Italy from Bucharest in 2018, Dragusin, who speaks good English, earned a reputation as a thoughtful and determined character away from the pitch. He spent much of his free time in Genoa exploring the city’s squares, cafes, restaurants and port area, becoming known for his interest in the local architecture and cuisine.
“He’s a very strong guy, mentally and morally,” said Rosu. “He’s the kind of guy you won’t get [negative] stories from. He doesn’t go to clubs, do awkward things. He’s just very focused, very professional.
“He’s the kind of player you want in your team. He’s not extravagant. He’s just a young boy who wants to make a name for himself in football.”
One of Dragusin’s hobbies away from football is the Rubik’s Cube, which he has managed to complete in a mere 45 seconds.
“That says a lot about his preoccupations outside of football!” added Rosu. “In terms of his entertainment outside of football, let’s say he’s a boring guy!”
"I would compare him to a much younger version of Van Dijk... he has everything to become a star"
Munteanu added: “He has a brother, older, and a sister, younger. He has a girlfriend, about 20 years old, and they had a relationship for three years, so he has good values from his family.”
There are reasons, of course, to think that Dragusin will be a top player on the pitch for Spurs, too.
Physically imposing at 6ft 3ins, he has based his game on Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk, and quickly made a name for himself in Italy as an uncompromising one-on-one defender, strong but quick to eat up ground.
No one doubts he is still raw, however, and his decision-making when playing out from the back — a key component for Postecoglou’s defenders — has been questioned.
“He has very good physical ability, great anticipation,” says Rosu. “I would compare him to a much younger version of Van Dijk, he’s this kind of player.
"He has everything to become a star, I think. He’s equipped with football ability and with brains, too, and with moral strength. He has the full package in terms of what he can achieve.”
