Tottenham Hotspur may have to review their investment in Romanian centre-back Radu Dragusin after a series of underwhelming performances.
The 22-year-old moved to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium from Serie A side Genoa in Janaury as a highly talented defender destined to blossom over time.
Dragusin showed plenty of promise during his early days at Spurs, but he has struggled to find his feet while playing second fiddle to Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.
Both players have established themselves as manager Ange Postecoglou’s first-choice centre-back pairing, but Van de Ven’s injury paved the way for Dragusin to get a run of games under his belt.
The Netherlands international picked up an injury in Tottenham’s 2-1 victory over reigning Premier League champions Manchester City in the fourth round of the League Cup.
Dragusin has played every game since then, but he hasn’t covered himself in glory, especially in Tottenham’s shocking 2-1 defeat against Ipswich Town.
The former Genoa talent was the worst player on the pitch but somehow lasted the entire 90 minutes.
His positional awareness was awful, and it ultimately cost Spurs the game when Liam Delap bundled the ball home for Ipswich’s second goal.
Dragusin won just one of his four ground duels, lost possession 11 times and committed an error leading to a shot and one that led to a goal. He was also dribbled past three times.
The Romanian’s howler against Ipswich wasn’t his first. He had a shocking display against Galatasaray in the Europa League three days before, earning a 5.8 rating on Sofascore.
Dragusin is on thin ice at Spurs. His agent has been clamouring for more playing time, but he’s looking more like a liability for Postecoglou’s side.
His quality and potential are undeniable, but his confidence is at an all-time low, and it has cost Spurs dearly one too many times.
If it doesn’t change soon, Postecoglou might have a decision to make in January.
Stats from Sofascore.com.
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