Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly won the race to secure the signing of Genoa defender Radu Dragusin.
With the lack of depth in central defence exposed in a match against Chelsea in November, head coach Ange Postecoglou has been focused on acquiring a new player for that role in January.
Despite links with Nice's Jean-Clair Todibo, it quickly became apparent that Spurs had set their sights on acquiring the services of Dragusin.
Although he only moved to Genoa in the summer, the Romania international's stock has risen considerably, putting him in the sights of bigger clubs.
Since the turn of the year, his representative has insisted that the 21-year-old's priority is to remain at the Serie A outfit, at least until the end of the season.
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However, the situation quickly evolved, Spurs allegedly having an offer accepted by Genoa that also included Djed Spence moving to the Italian side on loan.
Nevertheless, Bayern Munich had been lurking in the background, and it was soon reported that a higher financial bid had been made for Dragusin, without the inclusion of a player.
While Spurs could have feasibly still edged out the Bundesliga champions, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano says that a new bid in excess of €30m was made overnight.
According to the Italian journalist, that has proven enough to get a deal over the line and convince Dragusin that the next phase of his career should be spent at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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Romano adds that Dragusin had always wanted to make the switch to the Premier League, with the likelihood being that he would get more opportunities than at the Allianz Arena.
Should a transfer go through as expected, Dragusin will hope to be signed in time ahead of Spurs' encounter at Manchester United on Sunday.
He would be joining a team that currently possess the joint-seventh best defensive record in the Premier League, Spurs having conceded 29 goals in 20 matches.
By comparison, Dragusin has been an ever-present in a Genoa backline that have conceded just 24 strikes in 19 outings in Serie A.
The signing of Dragusin would, in theory, make it more likely that Spurs cash in on Eric Dier, who has also been linked with a move to Bayern.
Darren Plant
