Radu Drăgușin could get his career back on track at Tottenham under Thomas Frank.
Drăgușin has put in mixed performances since signing from Genoa, which includes picking up a needless red card against Qarabag in the Europa League group phase last season.
The Romanian was primarily seen as the third-choice centre-back before his campaign ended prematurely following an ACL injury in January.
Tottenham have already addressed gaps in central defence, having confirmed the permanent signing of Kevin Danso and triggered Ben Davies‘ contract extension earlier this month.
Spurs have also reached an agreement for Kōta Takai this summer, fuelling speculation over Drăgușin’s long-term future at the club, but recent developments could offer the 23-year-old some encouragement.
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Cristian Romero expected to leave Tottenham this summer
While Spurs are currently stocked in defence, it has been widely reported that Cristian Romero could leave the Lilywhites this summer.
The Argentine has been mooted for a move to Atletico Madrid, which looks even more likely following his compatriot Diego Simeone’s comments.
The World Cup winner’s departure would see Tottenham lose their most influential defender, but could pave the path for Drăgușin to revive his Spurs career, especially under Frank’s tutelage.
Drăgușin’s issues in Ange Postecoglou’s system were mainly due to the high line that was being played, though the Romania international was also shaky in possession and often struggled to find the right pass.
However, the former Juventus academy graduate excelled in box defending and demonstrated his dominant aerial ability in a handful of performances where Spurs sat deeper, namely against City.
Frank’s tendency to play a far more compact system will elevate Drăgușin’s qualities while negating some of his downfalls, and could see the defender form an excellent partnership with Micky van de Ven.
Spurs’ defence a priority for Frank
Although early indications show that Frank is desperate to bring in at least one quality attacker in the shape of Eberechi Eze, it is the defence that needs the most attention.
Tottenham still managed to score consistently last season, but they also conceded an astounding 65 goals in the Premier League, which was the 5th highest in the competition.
The former Brentford manager’s priority will be to ensure that this is quickly addressed and vastly improved if Spurs are to have any chance of making next season a success.