Johan Lange being taken for a ride by Friedkins as Tottenham player left in limbo
Tottenham are running out of time to offload one of their out-of-favour stars.
Other than Tottenham signing Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid, this January has not been particularly kind to Spurs so far.
Tottenham boss Thomas Frank is fighting to save his job as the north London team slide down the Premier League table.
Indeed, Tottenham are said to be looking at interim managers if Frank is dismissed from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Frank’s stay of execution at Spurs was extended after Tottenham’s Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund, and one of his players is also finding it hard to leave the club this month.
Radu Dragusin’s Tottenham exit stalling
Despite just returning from injury, Tottenham defender Radu Dragusin has been linked with a transfer exit.
Previously, reports suggested Tottenham didn’t want to lose Dragusin this month but now, it appears to be all change at Spurs.
According to Corriere dello Sport’s print edition on Thursday, Dragusin, who had a mixed 2024-25 campaign due to injury and form, has set his sights on joining Roma and is pushing for a transfer.
This is likely to be because he is behind captain Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, and Kevin Danso in the centre-back pecking order at Spurs.
The report adds that a ‘tug-of-war’ is ongoing between Tottenham and The Friedkin Group, who own Everton and, more pertinently in this case, Roma.
Tottenham are said to want a permanent transfer, while Roma insist on a loan to buy option – something that is putting Spurs sporting director Johan Lange in a difficult position.
And while this goes on, RB Leipzig are reportedly waiting in the wings, in case Roma refuse to budge on their apparent demands.
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Time running out for Tottenham and Roma over Dragusin
Tottenham forked out £21.5million to sign Dragusin from Genoa in January 2024 on a contract until 2030.
But the former Juventus man hasn’t quite lived up to that price tag thus far. He has made 38 appearances in all competitions but has never looked that assured in Tottenham’s backline.
And now that he is back fit, Dragusin does not look like getting much game time, even with versatile defensive option Ben Davies out injured.
The funds from a possible Dragusin sale could go towards a late January transfer window purchase but Roma appear to be playing hardball.
From Spurs’ point of view, they need to make it clear they want a deal done now and if Roma want him, they need to negotiate.
And with less than a fortnight to go until the window slams shut, both teams are running out of time to strike a deal. Perhaps that is where Leipzig can come in.
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