Serie A giants AS Roma are reportedly desperate to sign a new centre-back and have a choice between a Tottenham Hotspur star and a Chelsea outcast.
According to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini wants to bolster his defence in the January transfer window and is considering Tottenham’s Radu Dragusin after being ‘offered’ Chelsea outcast Axel Disasi.
Where is Radu Dragusin?
- Returned to training in October after ACL injury 10 months before
- Played in behind-closed-doors friendly v Leyton Orient on Nov 12
- Made one matchday squad in 25/26
- Was an unused substitute against Liverpool in Spurs’ last fixture
Disasi – who the Blues signed for £35million from AS Monaco in 2023 – hasn’t featured for Chelsea since January 2025, when he played in a Premier League game against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
He spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa, helping them reach the Champions League quarter-finals. However, upon returning to Stamford Bridge in the summer, he was told to find a new club.
MORE ON SPURS ON F365
* Liverpool and Isak deserve sympathy, but we can’t punish tackles on consequence above intent
* Big Christmas Weekend: Chelsea v Aston Villa, Man City, Mason Mount, Thomas Frank
* Semenyo deal set to spark Tottenham, Aston Villa transfers in £166m knock-on effect
Placed in Enzo Maresca’s ‘bomb squad’, Disasi, alongside Raheem Sterling, has not played any first-team football in 2025/26 and will surely depart when the transfer window re-opens next week.
The Frenchman is an option for Roma, who could easily agree a deal with Chelsea.
A more appealing option is Spurs man Dragusin, who hasn’t played since January, but for a very different reason. The Romanian suffered an ACL injury in a Europa League match against Elfsborg.
Dragusin has played a handful of minutes for Spurs’ Under-21s as he works his way back to full fitness, but Thomas Frank only selected him for a matchday squad for the first time last weekend against Liverpool, despite having him back in first-team training since October.
If Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero stay fit and avoid suspension, Dragusin will find it extremely difficult to play in the second half of the season, especially with Kevin Danso also ahead of him in the pecking order.
A loan move could be the perfect solution for everyone involved, with Roma clearly keen to give a new centre-back an immediate and important role.
Spurs player a ‘major option’ for Roma
🚨🎙️ Florin Manea, agent of Radu Drăgușin:
“His condition is really good, now he needs to play more matches. We’ll see what the plan is for him, if we want him to play more than what Tottenham chooses, we’ll consider a departure.
So far, nobody has called me. But there’s… pic.twitter.com/dqvKF2X63m
— Inter Xtra (@Inter_Xtra) December 24, 2025
The Gazzetta report (via Sport Witness) says there is a belief that Dragusin can ‘resurrect his career’ by playing for Roma, who view the 23-year-old as a ‘major option’, and there is a decent chance Spurs will sanction a loan move with an option to buy.
Dragusin appears to be a preferred option over Disasi, who has been ‘offered’ to the Italian side. Roma are unlikely to be the only club interested.
FirenzeViola also report that Fiorentina are keen on bringing Dragusin back to Italy after his successful stint at Genoa between 2022 and 2024.
It is claimed Spurs ‘rejected an enquiry’ from Fiorentina last month, but with Fabio Paratici – who recently left the north London club – set to join La Viola, that stance could change.
As SW note, this all points towards Dragusin’s representatives creating noise amid growing uncertainty over his playing situation at Tottenham.
READ NEXT: Boxing Day football is not like killing foxes; it’s a noble tradition
