When it rains, it pours, and that was certainly the case for Tottenham Hotspur last week.
Ange Postecoglou the team blew a one-goal lead to lose the north London derby 2-1, then instead of coming back against relegation-threatened Everton, they lost 3-2.
The Lilywhites’ play in the first half was nothing short of shambolic, and while the entire team was poor, it was another poor performance Radu Dragusin behind which stood out.
So recent reports linking the club with a league upgrade this month should come as no surprise.
Tottenham are targeting a proven winner
According to a a recent report from Caught OffsideTottenham are on the lookout for new defenders this month to help the manager deal with injuries in the squad, and one player who has caught their eye is the AC Milan star Fikayo Tomori.
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The report revealed that the north Londoners view the Englishman as a market opportunity and one of several options they are considering to strengthen their backline.
A potential price for the former Chelsea ace was not mentioned in the report, but stories from earlier this month revealed that it was an offer in excess of £25 million could be enough to induce the Rossoneri to sell.
Getting over the line may not be easy, but given Tomori’s ability and experience, he’s worth fighting for, especially since he could finally send Dragusin packing.
How Tomori compares to Dragusin
So if Spurs were to get their man and bring Tomori to the club this month, he would likely come in and compete with Micky van de Ven and Cristiano Romero for a place in the starting line-up, which in turn would lead to him being completely outclassed. Dragušin as, at worst, Postecoglou’s third choice.
With that said, how does the Serie A-winning centre-back cope with the Lilywhites’ number six?
Well, given their position, the best way to compare them is to look under the hood of their underlying numbers, and when we do that, we can see how one-sided this comparison is in favor of the Milan ace.
|
Tomori vs Dragušin |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics at 90 |
Tomori |
Dragusin |
|
Progressive passes |
3.91 |
2.79 |
|
Progressive mounts |
0.65 |
0.54 |
|
Adding precision |
93.1% |
84.9% |
|
Key passes |
0.43 |
0.16 |
|
He crosses into the penalty area |
0.11 |
0.00 |
|
Live passes |
62.2 |
55.5 |
|
Actions to create a shot |
1.31 |
0.39 |
|
Actions that create goals |
0.22 |
0.08 |
|
Solving |
1.41 |
0.78 |
|
Tackles won |
1.09 |
0.47 |
|
Rotations + Intersections |
2.17 |
1.86 |
|
Move apart |
2.83 |
3.64 |
|
Mistakes that lead to a shot |
0.00 |
0.31 |
|
Ball recovery |
3.80 |
3.49 |
|
Aerial duels won |
1.96 |
2.25 |
|
All statistics via FBref for the league season 24/25 |
||
For example, the “extraordinary” international, as it is called former Chelsea ace Joe Colecomes out ahead in almost every metric, including but not limited to progressive passes and carries, passing accuracy, key passes, penalty passes, shots and goal-scoring actions, tackles, tackles won, tackles plus interceptions, ball recoveries and more, all 90 each
On top of that, the Calgary-born titan was an essential part of the winning team, making 40 appearances in Milan’s Scudetto-winning campaign in 2021/22, then beating Juventus and Inter Milan to lift the Italian Super Cup this season.
Ultimately, while Dragušin might be a better player than his performances suggest this season, Tomori looks the far superior defender from almost any angle you look at it.
So while it could prove challenging, Spurs must do what they can to bring the Englishman back to the Premier League this month.
