Tottenham want £35m defender as Radu Dragusin replacement now on cards

Thomas Frank is looking to add to his defensive ranks at Tottenham before the end of the winter transfer window.

Tottenham struggled at the back against Burnley, only managing a 2-2 draw with the relegation contenders at Turf Moor on Saturday.

Micky Van de Ven fired home the opener, but Spurs then showed their defensive fragilities as first Axel Tuanzebe and then Lyle Foster found a way past Guglielmo Vicario.

Cristian Romero’s late header rescued a point for the North London side, but Frank is now readying late moves in the transfer market as he tries to save his job.

Tottenham have Alessandro Buongiorno on shortlist

Frank is currently under huge sack pressure and will need to strengthen his squad before the transfer deadline if he wants any chance of avoiding dismissal.

One area where the Dane could decide to improve over the coming week is centre-back, given the poor performance against Burnley in a new system.

According to Calciomercato, Tottenham have added Napoli’s Alessandro Buongiorno to their shortlist and are readying a move for the defender.

Buongiorno was signed by former Spurs boss Antonio Conte from Torino for around £35million back in the summer of 2024, but he has now dropped down the pecking order in Naples.

The 26-year-old has started just three of the last seven Serie A games, and is suffering through a run of bad form.

Buongiorno seems willing to depart to ensure more game time, but it remains to be seen whether Conte would sanction his sale at this stage.

• Read More: ENIC have no choice but to sack Thomas Frank as Tottenham hit horrific 28-year low

Buongiorno would be Radu Dragusin replacement

Radu Dragusin has been consistently linked with a Tottenham exit over the past few weeks.

Dragusin looked set to join Roma earlier in the window, but his move to Italy was eventually blocked, with Frank yet to find a replacement.

The Dane wants to have four centre-backs at his disposal for the remainder of the season, and won’t let the Romanian leave unless someone else is brought in.

Dragusin has made just two Premier League appearances this term, playing less than 10 minutes in total, and has spent most of the campaign recovering from an ACL injury he suffered in January 2025.

If Spurs can agree a deal to sign Buongiorno, then it would allow Dragusin to leave and complete a move to Italy, with the likes of AC Milan now in the race for his signature.

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