"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 will complete his move to Spurs in a deal worth up to €30million (£25.8m) today, 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.
This story is from the January 11, 2024 edition of Evening Standard.
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This story is from the January 11, 2024 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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