The January transfer window is officially open for business and this means that Tottenham Hotspur now have the opportunity to add to their squad.
Spurs enjoyed a terrific start to the 2023/24 Premier League campaign as they won eight of their opening ten matches, with draws in the other two, but injury problems have caused their form to plummet.
Ange Postecoglou's side has been riddled with absences as the likes of Cristian Romero, James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Ryan Sessegnon, and Manor Solomon, among many others, are currently out injured.
The Australian head coach has made it clear that he would like to bring in another central defender this month to bolster his options in that position.
Trevoh Chalobah
20th December
Jean-Clair Todibo
20th December
Morato
19th December
Radu Dragusin
16th December
Sebastian Caceres
14th December
Jarrad Branthwaite
13th December
With Romero and van de Ven out, Spurs have been forced to deploy Ben Davies and Emerson Royal at centre-back, which is not ideal as both players are out of their natural positions.
Spurs transfer news – Dragusin and Scalvini
Fabrizio Romano reported on Saturday that Tottenham are prepared to make an official offer to sign Radu Dragusin from Genoa this month.
The Italian journalist claimed that the club have already opened talks with the Serie A side over a potential deal to sign the central defender over the coming weeks.
He also stated that the centre-back has already said yes to Spurs and is, therefore, willing to join them. This suggests that personal terms would not be an issue if a fee can be agreed between the two clubs.
Romano has since provided an update that states Genoa are looking for €30m (£26m) and Tottenham are willing to spend up to €25m (£21.6m) on him as it stands.
However, Postecoglou could land a dream alternative to Dragusin by securing a deal to sign another player who has caught the club's eye – Giorgio Scalvini.
Sky Sports have reported that the Atalanta colossus is one of a number of centre-backs on the radar, alongside Jean-Claire Todibo, Jarrad Branthwaite, and Lloyd Kelly.
The outlet also stated that the Australian boss would like to add more young players to his squad and the likes of Dragusin, Scalvini, and Branthwaite certainly fit that criteria.
It has previously been reported in Italy that Atalanta would request a fee in the region of €40m (£35m) in order to part ways with the impressive young defender this month.
This means that he could cost more than Dragusin but that is a justified price to pay as the Serie A star has proven himself to be a better performer.
Therefore, Spurs should ditch their efforts to sign the Genoa enforcer and push ahead with a move for Scalvini, who would be a dream alternative option for Postecoglou to add to his options at the heart of the defence.
Dragusin's season in numbers
The Romania international has been a regular starter for his side in the Serie A so far this season and has performed well at the heart of their defence.
He has started 18 top-flight matches for his side and showcased his dominant defending with a duel success rate of 67%, which includes a 70% success rate in aerial contests.
This shows that opposition forwards are rarely able to get the better of him in physical contests, particularly when the ball is in the air from long passes, crosses, and set-pieces, and this is an improvement on his performance in that regard in the Serie B last term – as shown below.
Appearances
38
Sofascore rating
7.00
Duel success rate
60%
Clean sheets
19
Interceptions per game
1.3
Dragusin has also made 1.8 tackles and interceptions and 3.8 ball recoveries per match to win possession back for his side by cutting out attacks with his defensive skill.
However, he has made three errors that have led to a shot for the opposition and this suggests that he is liable to make a mistake at the back.
Another potential issue with the central defender is his lack of progression on the ball. He currently ranks within the bottom 35% or lower of Serie A centre-backs for progressive passes (1.61) and progressive carries (0.33) per 90 during the 2023/24 campaign.
This shows that the 21-year-old talent rarely look to help his team to move up the pitch to threaten the opposition's box when he has the ball at his feet.
The statistics that show why Spurs should sign Scalvini
Dragusin's statistics suggest that he is liable to make defensive mistakes and does not progress the ball well in possession to help his side build attacks.
Whereas, Scalvini's form for Atalanta so far this season indicates that those problems would not exist with him at the heart of the Tottenham defence.
The Italy international, who was once hailed as a "dominant" defender by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has featured in 16 Serie A matches this term and made 4.2 tackles and interceptions combined and 5.6 ball recoveries per match.
He has managed that with zero errors that have led to shots or goals for the opposition, which suggests that Scalvini has far more to offer defensively than Dragusin – who has made more errors whilst not making as many defensive interventions per game.
The Atalanta star has also won 62% of his duels throughout the league campaign and this shows that he is also a strong centre-back who is rarely beaten by opposition players.
In possession, the £35m-rated titan could also provide more quality than the Genoa star. He currently ranks within the top 19% of Serie A centre-backs for progressive carries (1.00) and the top 40% for progressive passes (3.14) per 90 this season.
This shows that Scalvini is forward-thinking and progressive on the ball with his ability to drive forward and break lines with his passes to find teammates in advanced positions.
Therefore, the Atalanta giant would be a dream alternative to Dragusin as he has more of an impact defensive and offensively for his side, whilst making fewer errors, in the same league this season.
This is why Postecoglou should swoop for the Italian enforcer and forget all about his pursuit of the Genoa star ahead of the second half of the campaign.