In a difficult winter transfer window, Bayern Munich are exploring several options to strengthen the defense. The Bavarian club has finally made a concrete bid to sign a central defender, but they face tough competition from the Premier League.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Bayern have made a bid for Genoa defender Radu Dragusin. The Romanian defender has been subject to strong interest from Tottenham Hotspur. However, Bayern have made a late bid on Tuesday to sign the 21-year-old defender on a permanent deal.
Sky Sports in Germany and Bild have also confirmed Bayern’s bid for Dragusin. The Romanian defender now has to make a decision about which club he would like to join. Spurs had agreed terms with Dragusin, but Bayern's late intervention brought a new twist to this transfer saga.
Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Bayern’s bid for Dragusin is slightly above €30 million, which is significantly more than what Spurs are offering. The English club has offered €25 million upfront, along with a loan deal for full-back Djed Spence. Genoa may prefer Die Roten’s bid since they are offering a bigger fee for the Romanian defender. Wednesday could be a decisive day for Bayern in terms of clinching this deal.
⏳🇷🇴 Radu Dragusin has to decide his future in the next hours — Genoa will accept both Bayern and Spurs bids, as revealed.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 9, 2024
◉ €25m plus €5m and Djed Spence on loan from Spurs.
◉ Bit more than €30m fee from Bayern.
Spurs hope Dragusin will confirm personal terms agreement. pic.twitter.com/M7cfFcOKcH
Dragusin has been one of the impressive central defenders in Serie A this season. The Romanian is a no-nonsense defender who wins the majority of his aerial and ground duels. The 21-year-old may have to improve significantly in possession if he joins Bayern since playing out from the back is a key weakness in his game right now.
The Romanian defender will be a long-term option for Bayern in the heart of defense. His arrival will complete the four options that Bayern need in central defense to compete across all competitions for the next few seasons.
Apart from Dragusin, Bayern have been heavily linked with Tottenham Hotspur defender Eric Dier. The Bavarian club have agreed personal terms with the English defender, but they are not yet pushing for a deal with Spurs. Dragusin’s signing will bring an end to Bayern’s pursuit of Dier.
Along with a center-back, Bayern are also looking to add a right-back to the squad this month. The record Bundesliga champions have identified PSG’s Nordi Mukiele to strengthen the right-back position. Bayern are negotiating with PSG for a loan deal. Tuchel will hope that Die Roten completes deals for central defender and right-back before the end of the week.