Tottenham Hotspur want to sign Genoa defender Radu Dragusin and Romanian coach Marius Sumudica has praised the move.
Tottenham desperately need another central defender, with Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven undergoing treatment.
Romero and Van de Ven are expected to return soon, but Tottenham are concerned about the lack of depth in defence.
HITC Sport has learnt that Spurs are now proceeding with a deal to sign Genoa centre-back Radu Dragusin.
Terms have been agreed with Dragusin and the deal could reach around £25m, slightly more than the £20m Tottenham were willing to pay.
Radu Dragusin was praised ahead of a possible transfer to Tottenham Hotspur:
Tottenham are hoping to complete the deal quickly, especially with the interest from Italian clubs, but it seems there is still some work to be done.
Dragusin only joined Genoa on a permanent basis in the summer, when he moved full-time from Juventus after impressing in Serie B last season.
The Romanian is now excelling in the Italian first division and Tottenham are keen to bring in the 21-year-old as competition to Romero and Van de Ven.
A transfer in Romania hits the headlines every few hours and it seems that everyone has had their say on Dragusin and his expected transfer this month.
Romanian coach Marius Sumudica, who is currently in charge of Turkish side Gaziantep, told Digisport that he thinks Dragusin has worked hard to get to this point in his career.
Dragusin, who was previously one of the biggest young talents at Juventus, is now starting to realise his potential and could earn himself a big move.
Sumudica believes that €20 million (£17.5 million) would also be a great reward for Romanian football, as it would be written about all over the world.
Sumudica believes that all Romanians will be proud if Dragusin moves to Tottenham and congratulates him on his possible transfer to north London.
“Dragușin is the only Romanian player who can play for Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe,” Sumudica said. “When I was at home, I watched him play Inter. His face is very clear. I am not wrong about the players. He is a guy with unusual modesty.”
“He has worked to get where he is. I congratulate him. I think he will be the subject of a transfer of great proportions. He plays for Genoa and is one of the Romanian players who plays at a high level. And if they pay EUR 20 million for him, that is fine. With a transfer like that, when you stick your head out into the world, he is being written about in the international press. Besides, you are proud to be Romanian. I was asked about him in Turkey. You are proud when you hear that a Romanian can transfer for that kind of money,” he added.
With only three days left in the January transfer window, Tottenham seem to be fast-tracking the transfer of Dragusin.
Dragusin will most likely act as a third-choice central defender when Romero and Van de Ven are healthy, but Tottenham wanted someone with potential who could step in and be relied on when needed.
Dragusin fits the bill and everyone in Romania seems to be encouraging him as he gets closer to a move to the Premier League.