Spurs set to sign £25m ‘warrior’ Arsenal wanted as he achieves ‘childhood dream’

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Arsenal were linked with a move for Genoa defender Radu Dragusin, but he is now set to complete a move to Tottenham Hotspur.

The 21-year-old has been impressive in Serie A this season, and with Arsenal short of depth in defence, Dragusin was a player they were reportedly keeping an eye on.

The Romanian is a powerful centre-back who could have provided cover for William Saliba, but it now appears that Arsenal are targeting a left-back as more of a priority, with Miguel Gutierrez and Leonardo Spinazzola among the names linked.

Spurs set to sign Arsenal target Radu Dragusin

Fabrizio Romano has now revealed that Spurs are set to complete the signing of Dragusin for a total package worth just over £25m including add-ons.

The defender only just joined Genoa in the summer, but his rapid rise this season courted the interest of Spurs and Bayern Munich, as well as Arsenal.

Dragusin was initially set to sign a new contract, but the transfer interest in January made him available for a move, and he is now heading to the other side of North London.

Could Arsenal regret missing out on Dragusin?

Dragusin has been described as a “warrior,” and he would have added strong depth at centre-back. However, his lack of versatility may have put Arsenal off, as they are seemingly targeting a defender who can cover in multiple positions.

Arriving unexpectedly from a mid-table Serie A side meant that Dragusin could have been this season’s Takehiro Tomiyasu, as a surprise package who slots into the side well, but Arsenal’s financial fair play issues made this deal unaffordable in January.

It emerged that Dragusin’s “childhood dream” was to play in the Premier League, and he would have likely been open to a move to Arsenal, but Mikel Arteta will now have to look elsewhere.

Arsenal are strong at centre-back with Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Ben White and Jakub Kiwior in the position, but need extra options across the back line amidst an injury crisis, and Dragusin was one of many players they had kept an eye on for this window.

There is unlikely to be too much regret from Arsenal now, given his price and his position, as he would not have been a regular starter if he joined now. However, he has the potential to evolve into a potentially top-class player, and there may later be some regret that he joined the club’s biggest rivals.