According to 90 min, Naturally pessimistic Lilywhite supporters feared the worst when word leaked out on Tuesday night about a straight-up battle between Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich for the signing of Radu Dragusin.
Both teams’ proposals had been accepted by Genoa. The player had the final say.
Even though Tottenham is making a comeback as a major entertainment force, the team just doesn’t measure up to the Bavarian giants. Harry Kane’s decision to switch allegiances last summer was definitely influenced by the seeming assurance of silverware (Bayer Leverkusen may have something to say about that in May).
To put it briefly, it’s understandable that Dragusin chose Bayern over the North Londoners, but the Romanian international chose not to take such assurances. He supported the endeavor.
“We can’t believe we turned down Bayern,” Dragusin’s agent commented on Wednesday morning after news of the defender’s decision broke. “Radu had given his word to Spurs and chose to respect this. We’re all still mindblown a bit!”
These could be the explanations for Dragusin’s decision to honor his word and select Tottenham over the top team in the Bundesliga.
1. Entryway to the initial XI
Though minutes are probably going to come in more frequently in north London, Dragusin was going to sign as a depth option for either Tottenham or Bayern.
For the next month, Thomas Tuchel will be without his star defender, Kim Min-jae, but he has Matthijs de Ligt to cover for the South Korean alongside Dayot Upamecano. Dragusin would have been the team’s fourth-choice center back after Kim returned.
The defender isn’t anticipated to start for Spurs this Sunday, and Cristian Romero is reportedly planning to play against Manchester United.
Dragusin is expected to take a backseat to Romero in north London, but as long as the Argentine is Dragusin’s senior, the Romanian international will surely get runs in the team due to the Argentine’s propensity for suspensions.
The 21-year-old is eager to establish himself as more than just a capable backup.
2. The Postecoglou Pull
In the summer transfer window, the endearing Tottenham manager used his charm—or what he thought was charm—to convince players like Micky van de Ven and James Maddison to join the north London team in spite of interest from other teams.
Later, Maddison claimed that Ange’s self-assurance was what persuaded him to join the Australian’s project, and a number of Spurs players, including Dejan Kulusevski, praised the new manager’s influence. It’s really enjoyable. In December, the Swede said, “Everyone comes in smiling because they know they’re going to learn new things and we’re going to work with the ball to play football.”
In his brief time at Spurs, he has already proven as a manager that he can maximize the potential of any player. The most recent recruit to be impacted by Ange’s conviction is Timo Werner, who arrived recently: “Many things drew me to this place, but the conversation with the manager was the main draw.
“He gave me straight away the feeling that I need to join a club, what I want to feel when you talk to a manager and also the tactics and the style, how he wants to play, how he lets the team play.”
Dragusin’s decision must have been influenced by Ange’s direct and no-nonsense approach during their conversations. Mr. Tuchel, good luck competing with that Australian accent.
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3. Links to Juventus
Spurs reports that Fabio Paratici is still providing ‘consultancy basis’ advice to the team even though he is no longer an official employee.
This is just another example of how his influence has been evident in some of Spurs’ transactions since Ange joined the team. From his days in Turin, Paratici is well-versed in Dragusin, having helped Spurs land deals for Romero, Kulusevski, and Rodrigo Bentancur through his connections at Juventus.
Under Andrea Pirlo, the defender made his debut in the first team in the 2020–21 campaign, but he only played in four games for the Old Lady before going out on loan three times. Dragusin has performed admirably since he made a permanent move to Genoa in January 2023.
Dragusin will reunite with two former teammates in north London, Bentancur and Kulusevski. Tottenham may have benefited from Dragusin’s familiarity with Paratici during negotiations.
Perhaps these connections influenced the 21-year-old.
4. Participating in Premier League matches
It’s still pretty strange to hear of a player declining Bayern Munich, even after keeping in mind all of the aforementioned facts. After all, the team has won the Bundesliga 33 times, the DFB Pokal 20 times, and the European Cup and Champions League six times.
However, the fact that Dragusin has disregarded that shows that he is a player who keeps his word and is eager to test himself in what is widely regarded as the world’s most competitive league.
It is undeniable that the Premier League is the most watched league in the world, and Dragusin’s decision was undoubtedly influenced by the chance to put himself to the test against teams like Manchester City, Liverpool, and Arsenal.
You could argue that Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen—certainly the current Xabi Alonso breed—have comparable status in Germany, but it’s fair to say that the challenges aren’t exactly the same.
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