Tottenham fans should be pleased as the’more to come’ Radu Dragusin allegation emerges.
Since his arrival in the Premier League, Tottenham defender Radu Dragusin has only made bench appearances. The club currently boasts three excellent center defenders.
Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero have not been available for selection on a consistent basis this season owing to injury and suspension, but when they are, they are the clear first-choice duo at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Ange Postecoglou has no reason to sit either player following their good performances this season, which may mean Dragusin may struggle to get minutes.
The Romania international moved to Tottenham from Serie A club Genoa in January for a cost of £26.7 million (Sky Sports News, 12 January).
Despite blowing the cash on the 22-year-old, Postecoglou has yet to give the defender his first start in Spurs colours, leaving fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with little information to develop an opinion on the player.
However, based on Johan Lange’s words, those supporters should be quite excited.
Spurs’ technical director spoke for the first time since joining the club in November, saying (via Tottenham’s Official X, 8 February): “We’ve witnessed Radu being very powerful for Genoa for a long period.
“He possesses quickness and one-on-one strength, but he is only 22 years old. He is a relatively young player with a lot of potential for the future. Again, he has fit in well at the club, but there will be much more from him in the coming years.”
Dragusin, the future of Tottenham.
It’s natural that Dragusin has yet to make his Spurs debut, and with the club only participating in the Premier League, a lack of games between now and the conclusion of the season could mean he’s left waiting.
However, with a potential return to Europe next season, there will be plenty of matches and minutes to go around, and Dragusin will undoubtedly be seen much more frequently.
Based on his three cameo appearances, there is no reason to believe Lange is incorrect in his assessment of the player.
Dragusin made his debut in the 85th minute of Sunday 14 January’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford, and he appeared very controlled during his 11 minutes on the pitch, given the circumstances.
According to Sofascore, he completed 100% of his passes while also making one interception and one clearing, assisting a depleted Spurs team in leaving Manchester with a vital point.
Dragusin was added again in the final moments of the 3-2 win over Brentford at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday, January 31, and helped his team cling on to the victory, winning one aerial duel and making one clearance.
His most recent outing was against Everton in a 2-2 draw at Goodison Park on Saturday 3 February, and while he was unable to assist Spurs maintain their advantage as Jarrad Branthwaite scored a 94th-minute equaliser from a set-piece, he couldn’t have done much to prevent the goal.
He won one ground duel, one aerial duel, and made one clearance.
Dragusin has previously been utilized in high-pressure situations and has maintained his composure. When the time comes to start him, he has already demonstrated that he can be relied upon.
