Scout report of Juventus wonderkid compared to Van Dijk

Bengaluru, March 4: When we discuss the names of potential superstars for the future, there is a natural tendency to be more fascinated by attacking minded players or midfielders. Defenders have always been bit under-appreciated when compared to the midfielders and forwards.

However, over the last few years, defenders are finally getting the plaudits they have always deserved and in this article, we will take a closer look at one of the potential defensive superstars for the future Juventus starlet Radu Dragusin.

While most aspiring footballers used to idolise the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the past, nowadays emerging footballers are also looking up to other players.

Since Dutch international defender Virgil van Dijk arrived at Liverpool, the 29-year-old has established himself as a Messi or Ronaldo esque figure among defenders which was not a commonplace earlier.

He narrowly missed out on the Balon d'Or in 2019 but has certainly usurped all his fellow defenders when it comes to inspiring the next generation and Dragusin also finds his inspiration in the Dutch skipper.

It is quite evident from Dragusin's physical stature and his style of play that he closely follows van Dijk and probably that is why he has been nicknamed 'Romanian Virgil van Dijk'. The 19-year-old is extremely confident when he possesses the ball and his positional sense is unbelievable for someone of his age.

Coming from a family with sports background with his both his parents having represented Romania at their own chosen pursuits, it is no surprise that Dragusin is already making a name for himself in football. His father used to play volleyball while his mother played Basketball.

Dragusin joined local club Sportul Studentesc at the age of seven and spent four years at the club before moving to Regal Sport Bucharest in 2013, a club that shares an affiliation with Atletico Madrid.

It is a shame that the Spanish giants failed to recognise the immense talent of the youngster and missed out on his signature as Juventus snapped him up for just €250,000 in 2018 beating the likes of Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.

The Romanian wonderkid was initially integrated into Juve's U17s side, but quickly stepped up ranks and has now earned himself four senior appearances for the Old Lady already.

Looking at the plethora of talent and depth Juventus have at the heart of their defence, Dragusin already getting first team minutes shows how much talent he has in his locker and he could potentially be a stalwart in their defence for many years to come.

Since first making the bench against Lazio in early November, the 19-year-old has only missed out on a place in Andrea Pirlo's matchday squad on four occasions, and made his debut as a 69th-minute substitute against Dynamo Kiev in December's Champions League clash.

Blessed with a frame of 6'3" and a solid physique, Dragusin looks much ahead of his age in terms of an imposing appearance. He is also technically gifted which is quite evident from comparisons with van Dijk.

Thanks to his pace and technical abilities coupled with his willingness to carry the ball out of defence, he can also feature at right-back which is an added advantage.

With Dragusin's contract set to expire at the end of the season, the Old Lady must ensure that they can keep the wonderkid at the club especially with the amount of interest in the 19-year-old from all across the continent.