The reasons for the shocking decision of Romanian new defender Dragushin, who chose Tottenham instead of Bayern Munich, are being revealed one by one. The British Evening Standard said on the 11th (Korean time) that “Dragushin will arrive in London for a medical test for Tottenham. Tottenham won the competition to recruit Dragushin, which Bayern Munich aimed for hijacking.”
There was a shocking response in Germany to Dragucine’s choice of Tottenham instead of Bayern Munich, the most prestigious club in the Bundesliga. Bayern Munich offered Dragucine an annual salary 1.5 times higher than Tottenham, but he was not chosen by Dragucine.
FCB Inside, a German media outlet, said, “Dragushin would have chosen Tottenham because he thought he was more likely to play at Tottenham than at Bayern Munich. Dragushin must have had that experience at Juventus and thought he would be sitting on the bench too often at Bayern Munich. He must have been concerned that other clubs would have to start again at a lower level in a few years.” 스포츠토토
Juventus hired Dragucine, who was in his late teens, in 2020. Although Dragucine made his Serie A debut with Juventus in the 2020-21 season, he also had a hard time getting a chance to play. World-class defenders such as Bonucci and Chiellini were holding out for Juventus at the time. After suffering from difficulties at Juventus, Dragucine gained experience by playing on loan at Sampdoria, Salernitana, and Genoa. After a full transfer to Genoa in the 2022-23 season, Dragucine showed stable performance in Serie A this season and won the favor of big European clubs four years after joining Juventus. It took a considerable amount of time for Dragucine, who once suffered a setback at Juventus, to get attention from big clubs again.
Bayern Munich is playing as a main defender this season, with Kim Min-jae starting in the Bundesliga’s foreground. Kim Min-jae was recognized for his outstanding performance by being listed in the best 11 in the first half of the year selected by the Bundesliga secretariat. Bayern Munich has not only Kim Min-jae, but also Upamecano and De Ligt in the defense. It is not easy for 21-year-old rookie Dragushin to compete for positions.
German media criticized Bayern Munich’s administrative power over its failed recruitment of Dragucin. German Bild pointed out that the biggest reason for the failure was that the officials involved in the transfer to Bayern Munich, led by Freund, were too late.
“Dragushin is a gem that Bayern Munich has thrown away. Bayern Munich has lost sight of promising defenders who are comparable to world-class defenders. His unique hairstyle with a 190-centimeter-tall headband and height is not the only reason why Dragushin can be compared to Van Dijk,” the German Sport said. “Dragushin committed 14 fouls this season, resulting in a relatively small number of fouls and receiving only one warning. He showed his strength in aerial ball dueling with 70 percent of the win rate. Statistics show that he cannot be compared to Van Dijk.
Dragushin has allowed dribble breakthrough only once in 19 Serie A matches this season. He is the second best dribble-stopping player in the top five European leagues, following Van Dijk, who has never allowed dribble breakthrough. He also added, “Bayer Munich’s offer to Dragushin was too late and now Dragushin will play in the same league as his idol Van Dijk.”
While Dragushin’s decision to choose Tottenham is drawing attention, England’s The Boyhotspur also introduced an interview with Dragushin’s mother, who said, “Dragushin wanted to go to England and the Premier League has been his dream since childhood.”
“I couldn’t believe that Dragushin rejected Bayern Munich,” Dragushin’s agent Manaea said. “The move to Tottenham was what Dragushin and his family wanted. Dragushin said the move to Tottenham was the right decision for his career. Dragushin had a dream since he was young to play in the Premier League. Bayern Munich offered 1.5 times more salary than Tottenham, but money didn’t matter to Dragushin. “I don’t know how many players I could refuse when I got Bayern Munich’s offer,” he said, expressing that he did not expect Dragushin’s decision.