Tottenham Hotspur Manager Ange Postecoglou has explained why newly signed Radu Dragusin from Genoa during the January transfer window has barely played.
The 22-year-old Romanian defender has not been a regular starter for the North London club since completing the move and he has had just eight minutes of first-team action in the Premier League.
Ange Postecoglou has now explained that Tottenham play differently to what the player is used to and he is still adapting to life in the Premier League. The Australian manager added that Dragusin has impressed with his attitude and quality in training and he will get his opportunities in the coming months.
The Romanian defender is a long-term project for Tottenham, and therefore they are not stressed about his lack of game time. The Spurs boss claims that the defender was aware that he would not be a guaranteed starter at Tottenham and that is the reason they opted to move for him.
“He has been great, he’s working hard,” the Spurs boss said on talkSPORT 2.
“He was at Genoa and he was playing. If just playing was all he was interested in then he would have stayed at Genoa. If you want to move to big clubs then that’s part of the process.
“He knew that and that’s why I wanted him here because he knew the challenge of coming here and playing was not just going to be a given. It’s about working your way. He’s adapting.
“We play a lot differently to what he’s used to, we’ve used him in games and I think he’s done well when we’ve used him. Again, we didn’t buy him for six months.
“We brought him to this football club for a long time and we’ve already seen this year what losing our two central defenders what impact that had on our season.
“I don’t want that to happen in the future so Radu is here for that and the next three to four months before the end of the season, it’s about him adapting and working hard.
“He’s been outstanding in training, great attitude, great amongst the players. The players can really see the qualities he has and he’s ready to play.”
There is no doubt that the 22-year-old is a prodigious talent with a bright future ahead of him, and he will be determined to establish himself as a starter for the club in the coming seasons.
Dragusin is still only 22 with plenty of time to develop and fulfil his potential. If he continues to work hard in training, he will eventually get his opportunity to impress in the Premier League.
Postecoglou has done well to nurture talented young players throughout his managerial career and he showed that during his time at Celtic. There is no doubt that he is the ideal manager to get the best out of the defender.
