Newcastle send scouts to watch £26m Serie A defender likened to Virgil van Dijk

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Newcastle United have been linked with Radu Dragusin in recent months and speculation seems to be intensifying ahead of the January transfer window.

Tuttomercatoweb have reported that the Magpies have sent scouts to watch the Genoa defender in action over the past few weeks.

In addition, the report from Italy names the price tag that the Serie A club have reportedly slapped on Dragusin. This has apparently been set at €30million, or around £26million.

However, Newcastle look set to face competition from other big clubs for the 21-year-old’s services. Apparently, Tottenham and Brighton have also taken a liking to the player.

Speculation linking the Magpies and Dragusin has certainly been doing the rounds in recent months.

For instance, the defender’s agent, Florin Manea, previously claimed that Newcastle are one of the clubs ‘watching’ Dragusin ahead of the January transfer window.

“It is not an offer from Newcastle (although) I have had meetings with Newcastle and other teams,” Manea told Calciomercato in October.

Better still for the Magpies, Dragusin’s mother has gone on record to say that she’d love to see his son play in England, saying it’s one of his childhood dreams.

Svetlana Dragusin told Romanian outlet AS: “I wish for him to reach where he set out to. And he really wants to reach England. This is his childhood dream.”

Newcastle could certainly do with bringing in some reinforcements at centre-back with a view to being long-term successors for Fabian Schar and Dan Burn.

Dragusin certainly seems to tick the Magpies’ boxes.

He is a very talented and physically imposing young player who has been doing well for Genoa in Serie A, has great potential and isn’t even too expensive.

Goal.com named Dragusin in their 2021 NxGn list, at number 45. The same outlet – on another article – labelled him the ‘Romanian Van Dijk’.

The nine-cap Romania international is strong in the air, comfortable with the ball at his feet, and possesses strong energy levels. All in all, he looks like a decent shout for Newcastle.