Tottenham new boy Radu Dragusin believes “the sky is the limit” after turning down Bayern Munich to join Ange Postecoglou’s side.
Having completed the loan signing of Germany forward Timo Werner last week, the north London club won the race to sign the Romania defender from under the noses of the Bundesliga giants.
Dragusin signed a six-and-a-half-year deal at Spurs after rejecting Bayern’s advances in a move that could eventually see Genoa receive up to £25million.
Asked if it was correct he had spurned Bayern, the 21-year-old said: “Yes, that is right.
“I chose Tottenham because I felt it was the right step for me and I had a really good conversation with the coach.
“I saw that they wanted me from a long time ago, like one month before the transfer window, so I thought this is the right choice for me.
“I really believe in this team and that it is a good environment for me to continue my career and to progress in this incredible stadium and team-mates.”
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Dragusin said it was an “incredible feeling” to make his debut as a substitute in Sunday’s 2-2 Premier League draw at Manchester United and believes exciting things are happening at Spurs.
“My dream was to play in the Premier League, so that was part of it,” he said of the decision to join Tottenham.
“I think the team here, the guys here, are on a good trajectory. I felt joining them can help me a lot.
“The sky is the limit. We hope we will be as high as possible in the league and we can then see from there.”
Dragusin says he likes “the physicality, intensity, speed and aggression” of the Premier League and is proud to be the fourth Romanian to represent Spurs.
He knows there is competition at centre-back from the likes of Cristian Romero and Micky Van de Ven but reckons that “can make each other progress and grow”.
There is certainly no chance of Dragusin being overawed by the challenge, having earned his big-money move to Tottenham after taking a step back by leaving Juventus.
The defender moved to Turin aged 16 and went on to make four first-team appearances, before being farmed out to Sampdoria, Salernitana and then Genoa in Serie B.
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The latter turned their loan into a permanent move as they were promoted last season, before the Rossoblu sold him to Spurs last week.
“I have believed in myself since the beginning and I wanted to play football,” Dragusin said.
“I understand there are a lot of sacrifices to be made and a lot of days I will be on my own training, developing, but this is my dream and I won’t stop until I reach the highest level possible in my career.”
Former Chelsea forward Timo Werner believes he can make a big impact under Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham without being “the main man” scoring goals.
Much was expected of the Germany international when he completed a £53million switch to Stamford Bridge in 2020 after scoring goals aplenty at RB Leipzig.
But the pacy forward failed to transfer his German scoring feats into the Premier League and returned to his former club for just £25m after two seasons in west London.
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The 27-year-old is back in English football after joining Spurs on loan – with Son Heung-min at the Asian Cup – and provided an assist on his debut in Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Manchester United.
“We wanted to win the three points, that’s the only not-so-good thing but we did a very good game,” Werner, whose six-month loan includes an option to make the deal permanent, said.
“It’s not easy to win at Old Trafford and yeah I’m very pleased with my game.
“I enjoyed it out there and with the assist, it was a very good debut for Spurs.”
Asked whether supporters saw the best of him at Chelsea, the Germany international said: “That’s hard to say. There was always criticism of my game there.
“At the beginning I also started like I did here, from the left side.
“I think a lot of people wanted to see me scoring more goals, but at Spurs, with the tactics we have and the way the manager wants me to play, I can bring a lot to the group, also with my assists and maybe (by) not being the main man who scores the goals.
“To make deep runs to create space for the others and like today, to create an assist.”
Werner’s work on the left allowed Rodrigo Bentancur to make it 2-2 at Old Trafford, where Spurs twice came from behind and should perhaps have left with more than a point.
It was a promising debut from a player that scored 23 goals in 89 appearances for Chelsea and helped win the Champions League in 2021.
“Maybe sometimes it’s not about the fans or the manager,” Werner said when asked if criticism of his time at Stamford Bridge was unfair.
“Sometimes it’s about you, how you are getting things together, how you look at your stats and think, ‘I wanted to score more goals’.
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“I think now I’m a bit older, I see how important assists and deep runs are for the team.
“I also want to score goals but it’s not the main part of my game anymore. I can bring so much more especially in this kind of tactic for the group.”
Richarlison and Bentancur were the goalscorers for Postecoglou’s side on Sunday, cancelling out goals from Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford.
Hojlund’s thumping opener got United off to a dream start inside three minutes, but Erik ten Hag’s side lost their way in what will be their only Premier League match this month.
“We were talking in the break about switching off, so it was a little bit annoying (to concede so quickly),” Hojlund said, referring to Bentancur’s strike within a minute of the second half getting under way.
“We need to take the positives with us, again we need to be disappointed, as two times we were ahead.
“It can happen but again I think we played a great game.”
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag wants to see Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford kick on after both strikers scored in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham at Old Trafford.
As Sir Jim Ratcliffe attended his first game since agreeing a partial takeover of the club, United were twice pegged back by goals from Richarlison and Rodrigo Bentancur in a frustrating afternoon for Ten Hag, with Scott McTominay missing a glorious chance to win it late on.
But there was encouragement in seeing summer signing Hojlund make it two goals in as many Premier League matches after a long wait to break his league duck, and then for Rashford to score only his fourth of the campaign.
“I hope they keep going, there is progress,” Ten Hag said. “They are coming up with some routines and that is what you need, especially in the front line where a quick decision has to be made and in a split second you need the right decision so you need intuition.”
This was only the sixth game in 24 domestic fixtures in which at least one of United’s forwards has found the net.
“When your forwards are not scoring it is going through the whole team,” he said. “It makes everyone insecure, starting with the front players when they are not scoring. (Alejandro) Garnacho, Hojlund, and Rashford must be a threat.”
Ten Hag claimed United should have had a penalty when Garnacho tumbled in the box but although Destiny Udogie had hold of the forward, there appeared to be little in the incident.
“Yes,” Ten Hag said when asked if it should have been a spot-kick. “But what can you do? But I am used to it, all season that is the case.
“(Away at) Spurs was similar, a clear handball from (Cristian) Romero and I can list more. In some point in the season I think it will turn to our side. Let’s hope for that.”
While Ten Hag was delighted by two “great goals” for his side, he called Tottenham’s equalisers “soft”, with Richarlison heading in from a corner and Bentancur allowed to stride through the United box as Tottenham caught them cold at the start of the second half.
“The equaliser is no good but I have seen some good spells,” he said. “Two goals and we created other chances. We played well and that pleased me most but you are still disappointed when you get this result.”
Spurs counterpart Ange Postecoglou was proud of his side having travelled north without several players through injury and illness.
Tottenham bossed possession and had 16 attempts at goal to United’s nine, but allowed the hosts to score with their only two shots on target.
“I thought it was an outstanding performance, considering the team out there today,” said Postecoglou, whose team remain fifth in the Premier League, eight points above seventh-placed United .
“It’s a difficult place to come and play. A win today would give United some kind of momentum.
“Every time these players have to deal with adversity, they do it. It was an outstanding performance, I thought they were unlucky not to win.”
Romero and Bentancur returned ahead of schedule while Micky van de Ven played almost the entire match before suffering with cramp in his first appearance since early November.
And Postecoglou said their desire to play and help a short-handed team even when not fully fit spoke of the spirit in the Tottenham camp.
“We are not (where we are) because everything is running our way,” he said. “Anyone doing an objective commentary on our season would say we have not had it easy. These guys are giving me everything. They just give everything.
“It is not always smooth but there is no manager on this planet who wouldn’t feel they are not in the right place when they put in this effort.”
Tottenham twice pegged back Manchester United to deny Erik ten Hag’s men victory as Sir Jim Ratcliffe attended his first match since agreeing a partial takeover of the club.
The billionaire’s agreement to buy a 25 per cent stake and take control of football operations has brought some hope to a club that has fallen off the top of the English game under owners the Glazers.
But it is a long way back and fans will continue to protest the Americans’ involvement, no matter how diminished, with Ratcliffe getting a first-hand look at the challenge he is taking on in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Spurs.
The 71-year-old, who grew up supporting United, sat next to Sir Alex Ferguson in the directors’ box at Old Trafford and only had to wait three minutes to celebrate as summer signing Rasmus Hojlund hammered home.
Richarlison headed in an equaliser from a corner – his sixth goal in as many Premier League matches – but Marcus Rashford smartly put the hosts back ahead in the 40th minute.
Cristian Romero rattled the United crossbar in stoppage time and 49 seconds into the second half Rodrigo Bentancur slammed Spurs level, capitalising on some lax home defending.
Ange Postecoglou’s visitors looked most likely to win it but United avoided a 10th Premier League loss of the season in front of Ratcliffe and his INEOS team.
Things had got off to an ideal start from a United perspective.
Andre Onana – playing his final match before heading off to the Africa Cup of Nations – collected a cross and threw wide to Alejandro Garnacho, who played onto Bruno Fernandes.
The skipper put Rashford behind to drive forward and then cut inside, with Destiny Udogie’s eventual challenge taking the ball into Hojlund’s path rather than halting the counter.
The 20-year-old Dane moved the ball away from Spurs defenders, steadied himself with another touch before thundering a left-footed drive into the roof of the net.
Rashford tried to add a second when meeting a deep Christian Eriksen corner with an unorthodox volley across goal, but Spurs soon awoke from their slumber.
Pedro Porro’s pot shot may have been easily held but Jonny Evans had to be alert to stop a looping header from Spurs debutant Timo Werner causing problems.
Diogo Dalot cleared Bentancur’s header from the resulting set-piece off the line, but another corner would prove United’s undoing in the 19th minute.
Porro swung in from the left and Richarlison showed strength in a congested six-yard box to glance home, extending Spurs scoring run in the league to a club-record 33rd game.
Play settled for a while, only for United to kick on towards the break.
Garnacho’s penalty appeals against Udogie fell on deaf ears but the Spurs left-back was soon breathing a sigh of relief after heading a Rashford cross onto his own post.
United’s pressure continued and brought about a 40th-minute goal.
Rashford played a one-two with Hojlund around the edge of the 18-yard box, then followed a touch with a low snapshot into the bottom corner.
The England forward made a talking gesture with his hand as he celebrated – seemingly a message for those questioning him.
Rashford was blocked out as he attempted to add another but Spurs went close in stoppage time, with Romero launching himself to meet a corner and sending a header crashing off the bar.
Postecoglou’s side were not discouraged by that near miss and drew level moments into the second half.
Werner held the ball up on the left and played across to Bentancur, who drove into the box, past Evans and continued to slam Spurs level.
It was a gut punch Tottenham were determined to add to.
Richarlison forced a low save out of Onana and Werner hooked over as the visitors looked most likely to score, but they could not capitalise on their boatload of set-pieces.
Ten Hag made a pair of changes in quick succession to change the dynamics.
The first, Scott McTominay, drove narrowly wide from 20 yards after replacing Eriksen, before Lisandro Martinez came on for his first appearance since September.
Spurs introduced January arrival Radu Dragusin as the match wound down, with McTominay heading over at the end of five minutes stoppage time.
Erik ten Hag says Manchester United will only succeed with “hungry players” after letting Jadon Sancho leave little more than a year after Cristiano Ronaldo’s high-profile departure.
The Dutch coach was brought in 19 months ago to change things on and off the pitch at Old Trafford, where he has had to deal with a fair share of distractions.
Unhappy star Ronaldo’s second spell at United ended in acrimonious fashion in November 2022 and another big name has left midway through a Ten Hag season in charge of the Premier League giants.
Sancho has been banished from the first-team since September, when he claimed on social media that he had been made a “scapegoat” after the Dutchman said he omitted him from a matchday squad due to his training levels.
The 23-year-old this week returned to former club Borussia Dortmund on loan for the rest of the season and, while he wished the winger luck, the United boss underlined the need for the right mentality at the club.
“If you want to perform, you need hungry players,” Ten Hag said.
“I already said, we need personalities and players who are very hungry to fight for the badge, so fight for this club, and to do this in the team.”
Discipline is a key pillar of Ten Hag’s approach and was backed during the Ronaldo situation by the Glazers, while new incoming minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has not stood in the way of Sancho’s exit.
“I think it is not about discipline, it is about normal behaviour,” the Dutchman said. “It is about that, so what you can expect from a top professional.”
United are preparing for Sunday’s home clash with Tottenham – their only Premier League match this month.
The Red Devils need a win having lost nine of their 20 top-flight matches in an injury-hit season, with results and performances increasing the pressure on Ten Hag.
But the United boss trusts a process he believes will improve as absentees return, including Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez.
Ten Hag said: “If you ask me the question ‘is it difficult for you (to deal with things)?’, no, it is not difficult for me.
“Because I could expect from the start of the season when this happened the process could go negative, then, as a manager, you have to stay positive and get the process in the right direction.
“In the meantime, you have to be pragmatic, get as much points as possible and wait until the players are fit.
“In the meantime, work on your team, work on individuals that they go to higher levels, that you set conditions that the team is performing better, that the results will rise again.”
Ange Postecoglou has no interest in Tottenham’s poor historical record away to the Premier League’s ‘big six’ but has challenged his young team to accelerate their growth by winning those games on the road.
Spurs travel to Old Trafford on Sunday with Manchester United trailing the fifth-placed visitors by eight points after 20 matches.
Tottenham won 6-1 at United in 2020 but have claimed only one victory at Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City or United in the ensuing 16 attempts.
“I’m not a great one at looking at the historical references to these things, I wasn’t there so I don’t know whether there was something endemic in the club that didn’t allow that,” Postecoglou explained. “I just tackle from when I get into a club.
“I think it is important – if you want to be successful, you need to be able to perform in those big games, particularly away from home.
“We went to Arsenal, City (and drew), (beat) Liverpool here, we’ve done OK in those games. Not just results but performance-wise, I don’t think we’ve walked away from any of those games and thought there was a massive gap between us and them.
“Old Trafford is another place where you know the atmosphere is going to be a great challenge for us. It would be good to see how we react to that and how we keep developing as a team.
“It’s an important part of the process. Home comforts are great and we have a great crowd behind us, but if you can do it away from home in adversity I think it accelerates your growth.”
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Spurs will be without a number of key individuals, with captain and leading marksman Son Heung-min absent with South Korea at the Asian Cup, though Postecoglou can call upon January recruits Radu Dragusin and Timo Werner.
Werner was linked with a move to United but has returned to England with Tottenham and has a point to prove after he managed only 10 goals in 56 Premier League appearances during two seasons at Chelsea.
“Again, that’s not the way I look at it,” Postecoglou countered. “I’m looking at what he can give us today, not something that happened three or four years ago.
“I just don’t think it’s relevant. I dare suggest he’s a different player, he’s certainly a different person. We all, with more experiences, evolve, we grow up in many senses, there’s more maturity, he’s probably at a different stage of his life.
“What I look at is if we bring Timo in, can he contribute to the side we have today and the way we play provided his motivations are right?”
While Werner is set to start this weekend, centre-back Dragusin is likely to be on the bench with Micky van de Ven fit again and Cristian Romero back in full training.
Postecoglou is nevertheless excited about having three top centre-backs competing for two spots.
He added: “If Radu just wanted to play, he would have stayed at Genoa.
“He has come to a big club and when you go to a big club, you know you have to compete. That’s part of your development.”
Erik ten Hag says goal-shy Manchester United must show a clinical edge if they are to kickstart their Premier League campaign against Tottenham.
This has been a bumpy second season in the hotseat for the Dutchman, whose side enter the weekend eighth in the standings having lost nine of their 20 Premier League games.
That is as many top-flight defeats as United tasted in the entirety of last season and victory against Spurs would improve the mood around a team playing just one top-flight game in January.
Ten Hag takes heart from his side’s performance in August’s 2-0 defeat in the north London reverse but knows a killer instinct is needed if they are to beat Ange Postecoglou’s men on Sunday.
“It’s definitely different,” he said of the visitors’ approach under the Australian, who swapped Celtic for Spurs in the summer. “I think it’s a really big compliment the way they played, so he changed the environment there.
“They play really proactive, it’s very enjoyable to watch them, with a lot of dynamics. Very proactive. And they combine it with good results.
“But also, when we played them over there, I think we can take belief out of that.
“I would say, especially in the first 35 minutes, we dominated them and we should have gone in the lead.
“But we didn’t, so we have to make our own luck and take control of the game, and then we have to finish the chances.”
United’s inability to make the most of their dominance caused frustration in Monday’s FA Cup third-round win at Wigan, when they had 33 shots but only managed to triumph 2-0 against League One opposition.
Only Burnley and Sheffield United, the bottom two sides, had scored fewer than the Red Devils’ 22 Premier League goals entering a weekend they will again be without Anthony Martial for.
The 28-year-old forward is out of contract in the summer and has managed just two goals and 19 appearances in another disrupted campaign, leaving Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford as options through the middle.
“He’s not fit, so he’s not OK,” Ten Hag said of Martial, who has not featured since United fans cheered his substitution in the 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth on December 9.
“We want all the players to be fit and prepared for the game. In this moment, he is not. We have to make him fit.
“It’s his job as well to get ready for the next game, but in this moment he isn’t. He is in medical treatment, and he has to recover.”
Martial joins Victor Lindelof, Mason Mount, Tyrell Malacia and Harry Maguire on the sidelines, plus Sofyan Amrabat is at the Africa Cup of Nations with Morocco.
There is better news about Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro, with Ten Hag expecting the long-term absentees to be involved on Sunday.
Luke Shaw, Antony, Christian Eriksen and Amad Diallo are also back in contention for the visit of Spurs.
Ange Postecoglou has insisted Tottenham are in the Premier League title race.
Spurs have endured a tricky winter period with a litany of injuries and suspensions, but they remain within touching distance of leaders Liverpool.
Tottenham are also only a point behind Arsenal and Manchester City ahead of Sunday’s clash at Manchester United.
“By definition, we are aren’t we? So, yes we are,” Postecoglou claimed.
“I’ve said all along that until the point where you’re not, why would you discount the possibility?
“We’ve gone through a really tough period and we’re hanging in there. We had four games when results went against us, but we’ve clawed our way back. We’re still in there.
“Our performances for the most part have been pretty consistent, but all that is meaningless if we don’t finish the season stronger than the first half of the season and that’s what we’ve got to do.”
A season of transition was expected for Spurs after they finished eighth last term and sold record scorer Harry Kane on the eve of the campaign.
Postecoglou enjoyed a flying start instead with Tottenham at the summit in November, but a costly 4-1 loss to Chelsea sparked a run of four defeats in five.
Spurs have regrouped admirably since and after securing the additions of Timo Werner and Radu Dragusin this week, the Aussie coach is not prepared to put a limit on his squad’s potential.
“No, I don’t think that would be right for the players and for the club,” Postecoglou added.
“We have scratched and clawed our way into a decent position in the league, we’re into the next round of the cup, those possibilities are always there.
“And we certainly want to tackle them as robustly as possible without any fear or fear of not achieving anything.
“We’ve done it from day one, we’ve had a vision of the sort of football we want to play and some parts are really, really good and have surprised me with the progress and other parts we’re still in the early stages of development.
“We’ve got a platform here to kick on and try on from here.
“It does excite me. Look, that has to be the objective and the aim and we’ve got to take every opportunity we have to get stronger.
“Part of that process is just a trust thing, they have obviously invested in me, you can only gain that trust over a period of time and after doing certain things.
“The club itself probably took a lot of comfort from our summer window knowing they got their business right there and going into this window, saying you want to work quickly, there’s a leap of faith there which the club has to have in me and what I’m doing.
“I think the first part of the season has helped that and hopefully that keeps accelerating because hopefully it can accelerate our work and where we want to get to.”
The prognosis for James Maddison is encouraging with the England international set to return to training next week with the intention of being fit to face Man City in the FA Cup on January 26.
Postecoglou said: “He’s getting closer. He hasn’t trained with the group yet. Obviously after Man United we’ve got two weeks.
“I’ll be hoping between the two Manchester game he’s back training with the first team as long as there’s no setbacks in that two-week window.
“I think we’ve got three games in that week after the Man City game so, him and Manor Solomon are the next two that should be fairly close after that provided there’s no setbacks.”
Ange Postecoglou believes an alignment between all the key figures at Tottenham has allowed them to move quickly in the January transfer window.
Postecoglou repeatedly made clear his desire to bring in a centre-back early and Spurs completed the signing of Radu Dragusin from Genoa on Thursday, with Djed Spence heading on loan in the other direction.
It capped a busy week for Tottenham after they secured the loan addition of Timo Werner from RB Leipzig on Tuesday and allowed Eric Dier to depart after 10 seasons to join Bayern Munich.
Spurs’ quick work is a big shift in strategy after previously waiting until the end of the month to secure signings and Postecoglou paid tribute to chairman Daniel Levy, technical director Johan Lange and chief football officer Scott Munn.
“It’s easier said than done because while we might have a desire to do things early, you’ve got to have all parties agreeing to that and it’s not easy to do, especially in January,” Postecoglou said ahead of Sunday’s trip to Manchester United.
“The key thing for us was from the chairman to Johan and his team and Scott, we were all very aligned in what we wanted and we got our targets early.
“It was pretty clear what we wanted to do and if it didn’t happen, then we’ve moved on. But I think the fact that we were all pretty aligned on what our objectives were allowed us to be sitting here now with two players in – not so much for Sunday, but we know we’ve got a two-week break which means we get at least a couple of weeks to get the lads up to speed.
“We had some pretty clear objectives. If there’s an opportunity for us to get better, we’ll take it, but what we were trying to achieve going into it, I’m really pleased we’ve got two players in who I think will play a really important part for us.”
Postecoglou has continued to reshape the squad this month with former captain Hugo Lloris joining Los Angeles FC and Dier ending his nine-and-a-half-years at Tottenham to join Bayern.
“The club made a conscious decision to change the way we went about things and for that to happen you need change in personnel,” the Australian reflected.
“Hugo left and Eric moves on to another chapter in his career, he’s another one who has had a fantastic career here at Tottenham.
“Eric’s left his mark, he was part of a very very good side who made many great memories for our supporters here and he certainly leaves his mark here at Tottenham.
“He moves to another big club and hopefully has success in the rest of his career.
“For us, it’s a constant evolution of traying to inch forward to becoming the team we want to be.”
Postecoglou expects Dragusin to be involved at Old Trafford despite still waiting for his work permit and Micky van de Ven is fit enough to start.
Cristian Romero has also returned to training and could feature against United, but Giovani Lo Celso and Ben Davies are both out.
Lo Celso’s absence could earn Werner his full debut.
Erik ten Hag wished Jadon Sancho luck at Borussia Dortmund but would not be drawn on the winger’s long-term future following the Manchester United misfit’s temporary return to his former club.
The 23-year-old left the Bundesliga side for Old Trafford to much fanfare in 2021, joining in a £73million deal after a long, well-documented pursuit of the England international.
But Sancho has struggled to live up to the hype and been banished since claiming he had been made a “scapegoat” after Ten Hag said he did not reach the “level” required to be involved in their squad at Arsenal.
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The winger has been training away from the main group since September and has now returned to Dortmund on loan for the remainder of the season without an option to buy, saying it felt like he was “coming home”.
“I hope he’s doing well, so I wish him the best of luck,” Ten Hag said. “That’s it. I hope he’s doing well and he will be a success.”
The Dutchman has been reluctant to speak about Sancho during his four-month absence and quickly shut down further talk about the United man.
Asked what Sancho has to do at Dortmund in order to get back in the United team, he replied curtly: “No, I already replied. I think it’s enough.”
Sancho followed Donny van de Beek in leaving on loan, with other peripheral players likely to follow as United’s injury issues begin to ease.
The Red Devils have been beset by problems this term, but they are easing ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash against Tottenham.
Lisandro Martinez could be involved for the first time since injuring a foot in September, while Casemiro has been out with a hamstring complaint picked up in October.
“We have had a lot of injuries,” Ten Hag said.
“This week in training, so the last couple of days, Licha Martinez training, Casemiro training, Luke Shaw training, so there are players returning. They are coming in for selection for Sunday.
“(Christian) Eriksen was ill in the week, he will return. Antony will return. Amad (Diallo) will return.
“We have more choices in this moment in the squad to put out a starting XI and to create a bench that is stronger.”
Ten Hag’s options are improving and the United boss will be hoping that is matched by an upturn in players’ form.
Antony has been particularly underwhelming after joining from Ajax for 100million euros (£84.8m) in 2022, with a slow first season following by a poor second campaign.
The Brazil international was given a leave of absence in September to deal with allegations of abuse against him that the winger has always strongly denied.
Police inquiries in Brazil and the UK are ongoing and Ten Hag believes off-field issues have had “an impact on him”.
“I can explain (his struggles),” Ten Hag, who worked with Antony at Ajax, said. “I think it’s very simple.
“I think his off-field issues stop him playing. I think first year was OK and I think in the pre-season he was very OK. First four games were very good.
“He was out and then he came back. He didn’t deliver the performance we should expect from him and he can do so much better.
“You mention Ajax, also I look back there so his effectiveness, his end product was very high there and also in the Champions League very high.
“So, I am sure he’s capable of doing this.”
Tottenham have completed the signing of centre-back Radu Dragusin from Genoa in a move which has paved the way for Eric Dier to join Bayern Munich.
Romania international Dragusin has put pen to paper on a six-and-a-half-year deal at Spurs and is the club’s second addition of the January transfer window after Timo Werner’s arrival on loan on Tuesday.
A centre-back was always Ange Postecoglou’s number-one priority this month and Tottenham have secured the services of Dragusin in a deal that could rise to £25million, the PA news agency understands.
The 21-year-old has signed in time so that he could make his debut at Manchester United on Sunday and marks another shift in tactic by the club from their previously adopted transfer strategy.
Spurs have notoriously waited until the end of January to complete their winter business, signing both Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur on the final day of the window in 2022 and securing the services of Pedro Porro with minutes to spare last year.
Postecoglou publicly made clear his desire to sign another centre-back and to crucially bring in recruits early to enable them to get up to speed with his style of football as quickly as possible.
The Australian has got his wish, with Dragusin fitting the profile of player Tottenham are tracking under his stewardship.
Dragusin progressed through Juventus’ academy and made his debut as a substitute in December 2020, coming on against Dynamo Kyiv before being introduced for his Serie A bow in the same month away to Genoa with future team-mates Kulusevski and Bentancur on the pitch at the same time.
The following campaign brought loan spells with Sampdoria and Salernitana in Italy’s top flight, but it was a season-long loan at Genoa in 2022 which kickstarted his upward trajectory.
Dragusin starred for Genoa in their promotion back to Serie A, playing 38 times and scoring four goals before he made the move permanent in July.
Dragusin continued his excellent form but, after 22 appearances this term, he will now ply his trade in England.
Tottenham stepped up their pursuit of the centre-back last week, but had to battle late interest from Bayern Munich on Tuesday after they had finally reached an agreement with Genoa before Dragusin decided to move to the Premier League club on Wednesday.
He will provide much-needed depth in central defence alongside vice-captain Cristian Romero, summer recruit Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies.
Djed Spence, meanwhile, has headed in the other direction on loan for the rest of the season and Dragusin’s arrival has contributed to Dier’s exit.
Bayern registered an interest in Dier last week and, while they made a late bid to sign Dragusin, Spurs beating them to the Romanian’s signature resulted in Thomas Tuchel’s side being forced to pursue other targets.
Bundesliga champions Bayern pressed forward with plans to sign Dier and he completed a dream move to Germany on Thursday on an initial six-month deal, which can be extended by a further year.
Dier’s transfer to Bayern will boost his faint hopes of forcing his way back into Gareth Southgate’s England squad and allow him to link up with former team-mate Harry Kane, who completed a £100m switch to Munich in August.
Centre-back Dier leaves Tottenham after 10 seasons in north London and 365 appearances, having helped the club reach two League Cup finals and the Champions League final in 2019.
“This move is a dream come true for me, because as a child you want to play for a club like Bayern one day,” Dier told the official club website.
“Bayern is one of the biggest clubs in the world and has an incredible history. I want to help the team with my versatility in defence.
“I’m really looking forward to my new team-mates and the fans at the Allianz Arena, which in my eyes is one of the best stadiums in the world.”
Tottenham have completed the signing of centre-back Radu Dragusin from Genoa in a move which has paved the way for Eric Dier to join Bayern Munich.
Romania international Dragusin has put pen to paper on a six-and-a-half-year deal at Spurs and is the club’s second addition of the January transfer window after Timo Werner’s arrival on loan on Tuesday.
A centre-back was always Ange Postecoglou’s number-one priority this month and Tottenham have secured the services of Dragusin in a deal that could rise to £25million, the PA news agency understands.
The 21-year-old has signed in time so that he could make his debut at Manchester United on Sunday and marks another shift in tactic by the club from their previously adopted transfer strategy.
Spurs have notoriously waited until the end of January to complete their winter business, signing both Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur on the final day of the window in 2022 and securing the services of Pedro Porro with minutes to spare last year.
Postecoglou publicly made clear his desire to sign another centre-back and to crucially bring in recruits early to enable them to get up to speed with his style of football as quickly as possible.
The Australian has got his wish, with Dragusin fitting the profile of player Tottenham are tracking under his stewardship.
Dragusin progressed through Juventus’ academy and made his debut as a substitute in December 2020, coming on against Dynamo Kyiv before being introduced for his Serie A bow in the same month away to Genoa with future team-mates Kulusevski and Bentancur on the pitch at the same time.
The following campaign brought loan spells with Sampdoria and Salernitana in Italy’s top flight, but it was a season-long loan at Genoa in 2022 which kickstarted his upward trajectory.
Dragusin starred for Genoa in their promotion back to Serie A, playing 38 times and scoring four goals before he made the move permanent in July.
Dragusin continued his excellent form but, after 22 appearances this term, he will now ply his trade in England.
Tottenham stepped up their pursuit of the centre-back last week, but had to battle late interest from Bayern Munich on Tuesday after they had finally reached an agreement with Genoa before Dragusin decided to move to the Premier League club on Wednesday.
He will provide much-needed depth in central defence alongside vice-captain Cristian Romero, summer recruit Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies.
Djed Spence, meanwhile, has headed in the other direction on loan for the rest of the season and Dragusin’s arrival has contributed to Dier’s anticipated exit.
Bayern registered an interest in Dier last week and, while they made a late bid to sign Dragusin, Spurs beating them to the Romanian’s signature has resulted in Thomas Tuchel’s side being forced to pursue other targets.
Bundesliga champions Bayern pressed forward with plans to sign Dier and he was given permission to travel to Germany on Thursday morning for a medical after a 4million euros (£3,440,000) deal was struck between the two clubs, PA understands.
Dier’s imminent transfer to Bayern will boost his faint hopes of forcing his way back into Gareth Southgate’s England squad and allow him to link up with former team-mate Harry Kane, who completed a £100m switch to Munich in August.
Tottenham centre-back Eric Dier will undergo a medical in Germany on Thursday ahead of completing a £4million euros move to Bayern Munich, the PA news agency understands.
Spurs have been willing to listen to offers for Dier since the summer and the defender has started only once under boss Ange Postecoglou this season.
Dier, who only had six months left on his current deal, will now leave England and embark on a new challenge alongside former team-mate Harry Kane at Munich.
Postecoglou made clear at the beginning of the campaign that Dier could leave Tottenham, but he remained following the summer transfer window and eventually made his first appearance in the 4-1 defeat to Chelsea in November.
He was handed a start in Spurs’ next fixture at Wolves, but has only made two substitute outings since and was absent from Friday’s 1-0 win over Burnley in the FA Cup.
Postecoglou insisted it was down to a minor injury, but Bayern had already registered an interest in Dier by that point and they have now reached an agreement with Tottenham over his signing.
Dier has now arrived in Munich for a medical and will leave Spurs just short of a decade’s service in N17.
It continues a busy week for Tottenham with Timo Werner joining on loan on Tuesday and Genoa centre-back Radu Dragusin expected to complete a move to the club on Thursday with Djed Spence heading in the other direction.
What the papers say
Conor Gallagher is reportedly at the head of Tottenham’s transfer wishlist as Ange Postecoglou searches for a number eight. According to The Independent, Spurs are aiming to complete the transfer in January, with Chelsea bosses believed to be willing to make a deal for the right price.
Staying with Tottenham, The Independent says Bayern Munich are in talks to sign Spurs defender Eric Dier. It comes after the north London outfit beat Bayern in the race for the signature of centre-back Radu Dragusin.
The Telegraph reports Newcastle have had an approach for forward Dominic Solanke turned down by Bournemouth. Bosses at the Cherries are said to be determined not to release the 26-year-old this month.
Brentford and Crystal Palace are interested in Sunderland forward Jack Clarke, according to the Evening Standard.
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Erling Haaland: AS reports Real Madrid are assessing a potential approach for the Manchester City striker amid concerns over whether Kylian Mbappe will leave Paris St Germain to join them.
Hannibal Mejbri: The Evening Standard says the Manchester United midfielder is on the brink of a move to Sevilla after choosing the LaLiga side over Everton, with the loan fee reportedly stretching to seven figures.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is this weekend set to attend his first Manchester United match since agreeing a partial takeover of the club, the PA news agency understands.
The billionaire has agreed to buy a 25 per cent stake in the Premier League outfit and, barring any late change in schedule, is due to attend Sunday’s match against Tottenham at Old Trafford.
The deal is still awaiting ratification, but Ratcliffe and his team have wasted no time getting to know the club as his INEOS group prepare to take responsibility for footballing operations at United.
The 71-year-old and Sir Dave Brailsford, INEOS’ director of sport, visited Old Trafford and United’s Carrington training ground last week.
The pair met with men’s team manager Erik ten Hag and women’s team boss Marc Skinner, along with members of different teams and backroom staff.
The INEOS delegation also met with wider club staff at Old Trafford and attended an all-staff meeting as they get to better know United and the challenge at hand.
Brailsford has been at all three matches since the deal was announced on Christmas Eve, with INEOS Sport chief executive Jean Claude Blanc joining him at Monday’s FA Cup third round 2-0 win against Wigan.
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