Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero has been subject to ample criticism owing to his faulty performances for the North Londoners in the ongoing campaign. The Argentine World Cup winner is regarded as one of the best defenders in Europe; however, he has barely lived up to his reputation in the 2024/25 season, which has come under fire from pundits and supporters alike.
While the former Atalanta defender struggles to make an impact at White Hart Lane, the Lilywhites have Radu Dragusin rubbing his arms to gain some minutes under his belt donning the Spurs badge and prove his credentials. Tottenham signed the Romaninan defender in a £26.7m (€31m) deal from Italian giants Genoa after the Romanian international chose to move to N17 over Bayern Munich in January 2024.
Despite the headlines that the move acclaimed, the player hasn’t been given enough opportunities to back those headlines for the North Londoners. However, that has changed off late with Micky van de Ven’s hamstring injury, which has given the 22-year-old an opportunity to prove his worth.
And the Romanian international has been impressive in the last two games, i.e., against Manchester City and Aston Villa. He is a physical presence who likes to dictate play with the ball at his feet and isn’t afraid to make his presence known. His confidence will only rise from those performances, and extended minutes under his belt will give him an opportunity to establish himself in the Spurs last line.
Can Dragusin replace struggling Romero?
Journalist Rob Guest thinks the same; he insists that Radu can replace Cristian Romero in the Tottenham lineup given how impressive the 22-year-old has been in the past couple of games.
Speaking on the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham, Rob Guest said:
“I think Dragusin, I thought he was brilliant against City, and I thought he was really, really impressive again against Villa. He just needs this run of games because he’s moved from Genoa, where he’s playing week in, week out. One of the best defenders, a center-back in Serie A, and it’s just not quite happening for him at Spurs because he’s got two really good defenders in front of him. in Van de Ven and Romero.
“He’s going to play a lot more this season because of the return to Europe and the run in the Carabao Cup. But it’s the Premier League where you want to be playing week in, week out. And I mean, you could maybe make a case for Dragusin starting over Romero.
“When you look at the form over the past few months, but when he’s come in, apart from the Carabao game when he got sent off after, what, seven minutes? He’s been dependable, and he’s just someone you want in your area because he’s so good in the air. He can head the ball really well, and I think he can be a big weapon for Spurs in terms of the corners as well. I’ve been really impressed with him.”
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Do you think Radu Dragusin can displace Romero in Spurs starting eleven? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.