Negotiations for the Romanian centre-back have seen Jed Spence on loan in Serie A until the end of the season, with the Italian having the option to sign the 23-year-old permanently for £8million in the summer. Liverpool will have to take this situation into account and not just because Spurs are struggling at the top of the table under their new Australian manager. That puts them fifth, five points behind Jurgen Klopp’s lead. It has previously been suggested that the north London side could now compete with the Reds for one of the transfer targets.
The ECHO reported earlier this month that Liverpool were tracking Dragusin’s former Genoa team-mate Morten Prendrup. Club sources have ruled out Liverpool signing a new midfielder in January, with Alexis McAllister and Wataru Endo currently active, but Liverpool scouts continue to assess the 22-year-old’s progress. Friendrup, a youth international from Denmark, has impressed in Serie A this season after helping Genoa to promotion to Italy’s top flight last season. In addition, the right-footed player, described as a dynamic all-rounder with skills on the ball, has also played as a full-back and full-back on both flanks. Given Liverpool’s defensive injury problems this season, such versatility would certainly be very welcome. A January move looked unlikely for Liverpool after completing a £150m engine room overhaul last summer, but they could be on the lookout for a new midfielder towards the end of the season if Thiago Alcantara is out of contract.
But can Liverpool force their hand early? According to reports, Tottenham are also interested in Friendrup. Gimme the Sport claim the Dane has attracted the attention of the club’s scouts as they watch Dragusin and is a potential future target. Relations between Spurs and Genoa are positive after the conclusion of the deal for Spence with the Romanian. This could ultimately have an impact on future transfer talks in the summer and beyond.
Meanwhile, The Times report that Postekoglou is set to sign a new central midfielder this month after signing Drăgușin. Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher has been linked with a move to north London, but Freundrup could emerge as an alternative target. This could leave the Reds with an important decision to make regarding their interest in the Dane. Of course, Liverpool beat Spurs to the signing of Luis Diaz in January 2022 after Spurs began negotiations with Porto FC and agreed a transfer fee. Liverpool had planned to wait until next summer to sign the Dane, but will only go ahead with those plans if they are likely to miss out on the striker.
It may look like it’s going to be a quiet January transfer window for Liverpool, but it’s a different story at Tottenham Hotspur. Hugo Lloris and Eric Dier have since moved on to new homes at LAFC and Bayern Munich, while Ange Postekoglou has bolstered his attacking prowess by signing former Manchester United target Timo Werner on loan from RB Leipzig at the start of this week. Meanwhile, Tottenham completed their second signing on Thursday, signing Genoa’s Radu Dragusin for .
