Radu Dragusin has not been good enough for Tottenham Hotspur, but Thomas Frank could be the key to unlocking his future at the club.
Radu Dragusin was recently named in our top five worst Tottenham signings of the decade article. Anyone to have had the misfortune of witnessing his performances since he made the move to England will understand why.
The Romanian centre-back was a bizarre signing because he clearly did not suit Ange Postecoglou’s style of play. His ability on the ball appears limited, and he has often been caught out in possession.
This was coupled with his lack of comfort playing a high line. Dragusin is not the quickest defender and he looks far better suited to a more traditional defensive role. On the whole, Dragusin’s decision to reject Bayern Munich for Tottenham looks to have been a disastrous move.
Tottenham should keep Radu Dragusin for now
Despite his rough start to life at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, there is time for Dragusin to come good. He will be able to undergo a fresh start, with Thomas Frank in charge, as well as the fact that he will be returning from a lengthy spell on the sidelines after an ACL injury.
The arrival of his new boss could see him adopt a role more suited to his playing style. Frank still likes to attack and it has been a while since he deployed a back three, but there should be less pressure on Dragusin, both on the ball and out of possession. He should be able to sit deeper and Spurs may not look to play out from the back as much as last season.
On top of the potential for Dragusin to improve, it is difficult to see how selling him now would benefit Tottenham financially. He joined Spurs for just over £20m, but due to his shaky performances and lack of playing time when Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have not been injured, Tottenham could potentially be looking at making a loss on him.
This would be poor business, considering he is only 23 years old and still has five years remaining on his contract. It makes the most sense to give him another chance under Frank to see if he can up his game.
If he fails, he is still contracted to the club for a number of years and is unlikely to lose even more value than what he would currently be sold for.
An argument in favour of Spurs selling Radu Dragusin
It is important to consider both sides of a debate. While there are advantages to keeping Dragusin at Tottenham, there is also a clear negative.
Tottenham recently announced the signing of Kota Takai, while Luka Vuskovic has been a cause for excitement, as he finally linked up with the Tottenham first-team squad.
Keeping Dragusin could mean these new signings are not able to get first-team opportunities. Alternatively, Dragusin may fall behind them in the pecking order and never get the chance to impress under Frank.
However, there is no guarantee that Cristian Romero will remain at Tottenham next season, and if Dragusin continues not to deliver, he can be moved on in January.
He was clearly signed for a reason, so it makes sense to give him a shot in a system where he is more comfortable, then reassess his future in the coming months.
READ MORE – Tottenham are not in talks over signing £30m centre-back, says Fabrizio Romano
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