Radu Matei Dragusin (born 3 February 2002) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the Romania national team. Mainly a centre-back, he can also play as a right-back.
Dragusin started out his senior career with the reserves of Italian club Juventus in 2020, and later that year registered his debut for the first team, aged 18. Following loans to Sampdoria, Salernitana, and Genoa, respectively, he signed a permanent contract with the latter in 2023. The next January, he joined English side Tottenham Hotspur in a transfer worth an initial €25 million (£21.5 million), making him the most expensive Romanian footballer of all time.
Internationally, Dragusin appeared for Romania under-21 in one match at the 2021 UEFA European Championship. The following year, he made his full debut in a 0–1 friendly loss to Greece.
Dragusin was selected by manager Adrian Mutu for the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, having previously made two appearances for Romania in the qualifiers. He only featured once in the final tournament, as he replaced injured Alex Pascanu in the 63rd minute of a goalless draw with Germany.
Dragusin was called up to the Romania senior team for the first time in March 2022, and on the 25th that month made his debut by coming on in the 88th minute of a 1–0 friendly loss to Greece. The following year, he started in all ten matches of the Euro 2024 qualifiers, aiding his nation in winning Group I undefeated.
A tall and physical centre-back, Dragusin has cited Virgil van Dijk as a point of reference, with whom he has since been compared for his confidence in possession and positional sense. Dragusin has also played as a right-back on occasion. |
