Fiorentina have completed the signing of Radu Drăguşin from Tottenham on an initial loan, with the move carrying a buy clause that could become an obligation under specific conditions. The package is widely reported at €19m, though some outlets frame it as worth up to £21.4m. What is clear is that this is not an immediate permanent transfer, but a Serie A return that Fiorentina wanted done quickly.
He arrived in Florence yesterday to undergo medical tests and completed the transfer this evening. Fiorentina had already posted a picture of Dragusin at Viola Park before making the deal official, a fairly obvious sign that the formalities were close.
The deal Fiorentina have actually agreed
The important detail here is the structure. Fiorentina have signed Dragusin on loan, and the buy mechanism is not described in one completely uniform way across reports. Some describe it as an option to buy that could become an obligation. Others describe it as an obligation triggered by appearance or performance criteria.
That distinction matters more than the headline number. A loan with conditions attached gives Fiorentina some protection after taking on a player whose last spell in England was interrupted and uneven. It also protects against overstating the move as a full sale already completed, which it is not.
The fee reporting follows a similar pattern. Football Italia and other outlets have put the package at €19m, while other coverage has framed it as worth up to £21.4m. Those figures are close enough to point in the same direction: Fiorentina see Dragusin as a serious addition, not a bargain-bin squad signing.
Fiorentina's own urgency makes sense. They finished 15th in Serie A in 2025 and collected 42 points from 38 matches. For a club in that position, a centre-back signing is not really about depth or optics. It is about trying to make the back line more dependable.
The club also leaned into the announcement quickly. On 7 July, Fiorentina posted the message, attributed by football-italia.net to the club's social media account: "Dragusin è qui 🐉💜⚜️". It was not a long explanation, but it did not need one.
Tottenham spell and Serie A reset
This move also looks like a reset for Dragusin after a difficult period in London. His time at Tottenham was badly disrupted by a serious knee injury, with the defender tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in January 2025. He was then out for practically an entire year.
That injury is the cleanest football reason a return feels sensible. Centre-backs can recover and still perform well, but long absences usually leave a player needing rhythm, trust and regular minutes. Fiorentina are offering him a route back into a league he already knows, and probably a less chaotic situation than the one he leaves behind.
His Tottenham record underlines why the move came into focus. Dragusin made only 48 competitive appearances for the club. He managed barely 11 last season, and only six of those were starts.
There were at least small signs of steadier form before the switch. In his most recent five verified league outings, his best return was a 7.3 rating in a 90-minute Premier League draw. That should not be overstated, but it does suggest Fiorentina are not simply taking a punt on a player who has gone entirely cold.
Tottenham's wider backdrop also tells its own story. They finished 17th in the Premier League in 2025, so Dragusin leaves a club coming off a poor domestic campaign. That does not turn the transfer into an obvious win for one side and a loss for the other, but it does explain why a clean break now suited everybody.
Fiorentina's logic behind the move
From Fiorentina's side, this looks like a fairly practical piece of business. They are bringing in a defender with Premier League experience, but they have not committed upfront to describing it as a straight permanent transfer. Given the injury history and the mixed minutes at Tottenham, that is a sensible structure rather than a timid one.
There is also a football fit to the move. A side that finished 15th and ended the league season on 42 points needed defensive stabilisation more than cosmetic squad building. Fiorentina are not signing Dragusin to sell a story about ambition. They are signing him because they need a centre-back who can play.
The real debate is only about the wording around the buy clause and the exact fee framing. On the substance, the picture is much simpler. Dragusin is back in Serie A, Fiorentina have got the defender in the door after his arrival in Florence and medical, and Tottenham have let him go on a deal that could still become permanent under the agreed triggers.
FAQ
Has Radu Dragusin joined Fiorentina permanently from Tottenham?
No. Dragusin has joined Fiorentina from Tottenham on an initial loan. The deal includes a buy clause that sources describe either as an option that could become an obligation or as an obligation triggered by specific performance or appearance criteria.
How much is the Radu Dragusin Fiorentina deal worth?
The package is widely reported at €19m, while some outlets frame it as worth up to £21.4m. The safer reading is that Fiorentina have agreed a loan move with a buy mechanism attached, rather than a completed permanent transfer at a fixed fee.
Why did a move back to Serie A make sense for Radu Dragusin?
Dragusin's spell at Tottenham never really settled. He suffered an ACL injury in January 2025 and made only 48 competitive appearances for the club, with barely 11 last season and just six starts. Fiorentina also needed defensive help after finishing 15th in Serie A with 42 points.
Did Radu Dragusin already complete his Fiorentina medical?
Yes. He arrived in Florence yesterday to undergo medical tests and completed the transfer this evening. Fiorentina had already signalled his arrival by posting a picture of him at Viola Park and sharing a club social media message on 7 July.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →