‘I Recognised In Him Immediately’ – Igor Tudor Rates Tottenham Star
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Tottenham Hotspur interim boss Igor Tudor has insisted he recognised at once that Radu Dragusin had talent when he worked with the Spurs defender when he was at Juventus.
Tudor has been handed a contract until the end of the season at Tottenham and tasked with keeping the north London side in the Premier League after their decision to appoint Thomas Frank last summer backfired spectacularly.
The Croatian heads into the Tottenham job with a big squad to choose from when it comes to picking his team and centre-back Dragusin is someone he is aware of; he has also been able to add to the backroom staff.
Tottenham won the race to sign Dragusin from Genoa and even got the Romanian despite offering him less money than Bayern Munich.
Tudor was asked if he worked with Dragusin when he came through at Juventus, with the boss admitting he could tell at once that the defender had talent.
“Yes, he came out as a young player in that period when I have been there”, Tudor said at a press conference (9:22).
“I recognised in him immediately the skills. He was known already when he was young.
“He is still young, but not like he was four or five years ago.”
Dragusin’s move to Tottenham has not gone according to plan though, with injuries and a lack of playing time making themselves felt.
In January, he was linked with a move away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Roma and AC Milan both showing keen interest in signing him.
Roma sporting director Frederic Massara pushed for a move in the latter stages of the transfer window and then the Milan giants joined them.
AC Milan went in to make enquiries, but nothing eventually materialised and he stayed put to keep fighting for a place in the starting eleven.
He could yet be in line to play his first game under Tudor this weekend against league leaders Arsenal in the absence of skipper Cristian Romero, someone the Croatian also knows.
Romero was also at Juventus with Tudor, but the 47-year-old sent him out on loan to Atalanta, something that still remains at the back of Romero’s mind, and the 27-year-old has reminded him of that.
“Yes, yes, yes. I sent him out, I sent him to Atalanta”, Tudor added.
“No, no, he told me that now ‘you sent me out!’ I said, no, no, no.
“He got Atalanta and then he made his fantastic career, and what he became.”
Tudor will need to use all his experienced to stop the rot at Tottenham and the jury is out on whether the Champions League will be a help or a hindrance when it comes to getting Premier League results.
Dropping into the Championship would be disastrous for Tottenham, who are just four points clear of 17th placed West Ham.
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