FOR Spurs it promises to be a Rad signing.
Tottenham have agreed a deal to bring the “Romanian Van Dijk” Radu Dragusin to the Premier League for £21.5million from Italian side Genoa.
Heading in the opposite direction is forgotten man Djed Spence, as Ange Postecoglou also closes in on a swoop for German forward Timo Werner.
Dragusin could have been a star on our shores sooner – snubbing Chelsea as a teenager to sign for Juventus.
He comes from sporting stock – with both his parents elite sports stars in their homeland.
Meanwhile his glam girlfriend Iona Stan is an aspiring architect who is living the dream life of a Wag.
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Start big
Standing at 6ft3in with a striking top-knot and goatee beard, Dragusin cuts an imposing figure.
It was in his blood to be an athlete, both his parents were involved in professional sport.
Dad Dan played volleyball for Romania, while mum Svetlana also represented her country in basketball.
But it was a cousin who introduced a young Radu to football.
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He joined local side Sportul Studentesc before moving on to Regal Sport Bucharest who have an affiliation with Atletico Madrid.
But the LaLiga side missed the boat on the centre-half, who moved to Italy in 2018 to link up with Juventus and their academy.
Chelsea and PSG were also interested, but the Serie A giants moved fast to secure the talent – paying around £215,000 to secure the services of the then Romania U16 captain.
“My brother called me and told me there’s a good young player [in Romania] and I sent him to see with his own eyes,” Florin Manea, the agent who brokered the transfer, told TMW.
“He confirmed that initial impression by telling me he is a star, so I quickly reported to Juventus.
“After about an hour, Matteo Tognozzi, Juventus’ chief scout, called me to say that Radu impressed everyone. Other teams were interested too, but the Bianconeri really wanted him.
“He asked me, ‘Where can I become a great central defender?’ Chelsea wanted him too, but that’s why he chose Juventus.”
Following the legends
In 2020, Dragusin told Juventus TV: “I am inspired by Van Dijk, as well as Bonucci and Chiellini.”
It was the latter two that he would get the opportunity to learn from in Turin.
After making his way through the youth ranks, he was called up to the first team for a game against Lazio.
A month later he made his debut in a Champions League tie against Dynamo Kyiv, coming on as a second half substitute.
But, despite signing a four-year contract and being highly thought of, he consistently found himself on the fringes of the first eleven.
Loan spells at Sampdoria and Salernitana hindered his progress, which convinced the Old Lady to offer Dragusin to Serie B side Genoa with an obligation to buy at the end of another loan.
It was that move at the start of the 2022-23 season that would be the making of him.
Starring role
Dragusin took all the plaudits as Genoa gained promotion from Serie B.
Incredibly, he missed just 45 minutes of a tiring campaign – contributing to his club’s impressive defensive record of conceding the second least in the division.
And he managed to find the net four times, as his aerial prowess proved to be a threat from set-pieces.
His impressive form alerted Romania boss Edward Iordănescu, who called him up to the international set-up for all of his nation’s Euro 2024 qualifiers.
It would prove to be a successful period for Romania, who topped their group over favourites Switzerland.
With Dragusin at the heart of the defence, the Romanians conceded just five times in their 10 games.
Starring in Serie A
The stopper has continued to progress with his side cementing their place in Italy’s top flight.
His development has been aided by coach Alberto Gilardino, a once prolific marksman for Parma, AC Milan, and Fiorentina.
Dragusin said: “Gilardino has given us a lot confidence in our abilities, he told us to play with heart and give everything on the pitch.”
That was in evidence in Genoa’s final game of 2023, before the winter break.
The underdogs secured a vital point against Inter Milan to move seven points clear of the relegation zone.
It was Dragusin who displayed that fighting spirit, netting an equaliser.
Beautiful missus
Away from the pitch, Dragusin is ably supported by his stunning girlfriend, Iona.
Not much is known about how the pair met.
However, they both appear on each other’s Instagram pages from 2021.
She is an inspiring architect, who is studying at The Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urban Planning in Bucharest.
When she’s not, she is living the life of a football Wag.
On game day, you will find her cheering on her beloved in the stands.
The artsy brunette looks and plays the part, dressing in designer fur coats and taking luxury holidays.
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Their next port of call is London, where she will be able to indulge her love for shopping and iconic architecture.
While Dragusin’s game under Postecoglou will, no doubt, continue to improve.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
