Florin Manea, the agent of Radu Dragusin, claimed he’s not heard of an offer for his client and suggested that the defender ‘wondered if it was right to leave’ Genoa this month.
The 21-year-old Romanian centre back is one of the hottest topics in the Serie A January transfer window, with a long list of clubs interested in picking him up after his emergence on the Ligurian coast.
Napoli’s first bid for Dragusin – €13m plus Alessandro Zanoli – was rejected by Genoa, who have set a €35m price tag on the 21-year-old. Tottenham are now reportedly drawing up the details of an offer worth over €20m, keen to snap up the talented defender.
Speaking exclusively to CalcioNapoli24, Manea first discussed Dragusin’s character and on-pitch qualities.
“Tomorrow, I’ll return to Italy for Bologna vs Genoa. Radu has a great character, truly spectacular. I have never seen such a serious and humble player and for this reason I always knew he would reach the top.
“It’s a spectacle to work with him. He is tall, fast and powerful and after training he always stays on the pitch to improve his technique.
“After the match against Napoli where he faced Osimhen in a great match, I went to his house for a beer, but he preferred to drink water and go straight to sleep, leaving me alone.
“He worked a lot on his left foot because he played on the left and now, he can play all positions in defence. If he plays on the wing, he also knows how to push but despite everything he can also improve.
“He’s not bad with the ball and he needs to gain experience but it’s normal that at 21 he tries to play simple.”
The agent provided an update on the reported interest in his client and if any offers have arrived yet.
“Difficult to talk during negotiations. Tomorrow I will speak to Genoa and see if the club has spoken to anyone, but I haven’t spoken to anyone about the contract and transfer.
“I know there is interest in the player but officially no-one has told me about an offer for Radu. We’ll see tomorrow what Genoa tells me.
“It’s difficult to say how much Radu’s price tag is worth, but I think he’s worth €20m. We must all be happy when a transfer like this is made because I think we all did a great job. He was purchased for €5m and is now worth at least €20m, so even Genoa could collect such a sum and be satisfied.”
He spoke about the 21-year-old’s links with a move to Napoli.
“You can never say no to Napoli, but it depends on many things. Radu doesn’t think about money, but about the project and the city where he will work and train.
“When we talked about Napoli and Tottenham, he highlighted the problem of leaving his job half-finished with Genoa, wondering if it was right to leave.
“I told him that he would help the club with the money that they would receive from his sale. However, it is normal that a 21-year-old boy who feels comfortable in Genoa and has a great relationship with the fans could highlight these problems.”
He touched on his client’s mindset when looking ahead to the future.
“Maybe he’ll leave or maybe he won’t. Anything can happen but I will stay close to him to give him all my support no matter what.
“In Genoa he became one of the strongest and he demonstrated his value, now he has to make the step up, whether it’s Napoli or Tottenham, to prove he’s up to it and aim for clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona and aim to become the strongest defender in the world.”
Finally, Manea commented on Dragusin’s ability to play in a variety of defensive systems.
“He is very good at one-on-ones and very strong at heading. He only got a yellow for an attacking foul. He arrived at 16 for Juventus and had role models like Bonucci and Chiellini. He wants to become top and wants to play.
“Napoli and Tottenham don’t guarantee him a starting spot but he will work hard to gain a leading role. He can play in both a three-man and four-man defence and is a bargain for any coach. Napoli have a chance to get him if they call me.”