Radu Dragusin has reportedly caught the eye of several Premier League clubs and could be available for just £26million in January. Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle have all been linked with the Romania defender following an impressive start to the season.
There are just over six weeks until the January window opens and clubs can splash the cash again. The summer saw an unprecedented outlay on new signings but it is unlikely to slow down come the winter.
January is notoriously a harder month to convince clubs to sell their best players. But Dragusin’s potential availability could attract some of England’s top teams.
Dragusin, 21, made his move to Genoa permanent in the summer after helping them gain promotion from Serie B while on loan there last term. He has started all 12 league matches so far in the middle of defence, scoring the winner in his last appearance against Verona.
Dragusin still has over three-and-a-half years remaining on his contract with Genoa. Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb claims Genoa are keen for him to stay in order to give themselves the best chance of preserving their top-flight status.
It is claimed Dragusin will pen a one-year extension to tie him down until the summer of 2028. But the report adds that will include a gentlemen’s agreement that he can leave if an offer of £26m arrives.
TuttoMercatoWeb adds that Newcastle have been observing Dragusin in recent weeks, while Tottenham are also interested in the player. Last weekend, TuttoJuve also claimed that Arsenal are among the teams keeping an eye on the exciting young defender.
All three clubs have a need to explore defensive options in the transfer market. Arsenal have been without summer signing Jurrien Timber since he ruptured his anterior cruciate knee ligament on the opening day of the Premier League season.
Timber is expected to return to fitness at some point this term but Mikel Arteta is not stacked with centre-back options. Newcastle, meanwhile, have been without Sven Botman since September due to a knee injury.
Dan Burn is set for a sustained period on the sidelines with a back problem he suffered in the 1-0 win over the Gunners. Fabian Schar also has a fitness concern of his own, missing Switzerland’s game against Israel this week with a hamstring injury.
Tottenham will be without Micky van de Ven until the New Year after he injured his hamstring in the 4-1 loss to Chelsea. Cristian Romero’s absence through suspension has shown up the lack of depth Ange Postecoglou has in defence.
Eric Dier, who was widely expected to leave in the summer, started the 2-1 loss to Wolves last Saturday alongside Ben Davies. Dragusin could turn out to be a relatively cheap option for clubs in the market for defensive reinforcement.
He came through the academy at Juventus and made four appearances in total for the Old Lady. He had loan spells at Sampdoria and Salernitana before joining Genoa in 2022.
