Tottenham star suffers nightmare 22 minutes as Roberto De Zerbi summer decision vindicated

Roberto De Zerbi won't be questioning his transfer decision after a Tottenham player endured a nightmare during a Nations League match

Roberto De Zerbi's decision to allow Radu Dragusin to leave Tottenham Hotspur on loan this summer has paid dividends, if the Romanian's recent Nations League nightmare is anything to go by.

The centre-half found his future in North London up in the air throughout the transfer window, as Spurs completed a full first-team overhaul to give their new head coach the best chance of success in the Premier League.

Major changes were needed at the Lilywhites, given just how much the club struggled last season, narrowly avoiding relegation to the Championship by two points on the final day of the season, finishing 17th.

As a result, a number of new arrivals were welcomed during the transfer window, with Spurs splashing more than £250million on the likes of Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Savio alone.

Departures were also needed to make room for new players, however, with Dragusin joining Fiorentina on loan for the season.

That deal also includes an obligation to buy the 24-year-old, based on certain performance-related criteria being met.

It's fair to say that the Bucharest-born talent has had a tough start to the season thus far, despite receiving ample opportunity to thrive.

Dragusin has featured in each of La Viola's opening five Serie A games this term, racking up 450 minutes in total. However, he has failed to inspire success in Florence.

Fiorentina have won just one game so far, with one draw and three defeats, and sit 17th in the standings and two points from the drop zone as a result.

On the world stage, Dragusin hasn't had much more luck. The centre-back managed just 22 minutes during Romania's Nations League clash with Poland on Friday before he was sent off for bringing down Robert Lewandowski as the last man in his own area.

Poland won that game 6-0, with Lewandowski in flying form as he bagged a hat-trick. Virgil Ghiță's own goal and further strikes from Piotr Zieliński and Jan Bednarek completed the scoring.

It comes as Spurs have struggled to make much of a mark during the new campaign, despite a summer of serious spending.

De Zerbi's men are yet to win a league encounter after five games and sit rock bottom of the English top flight as a result. It won't get any easier either, with Spurs next facing Manchester United when Premier League action returns on Saturday, October 10.

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