Florin Manea, speaking to CalcioNapoli24 TV ahead of Fiorentina's weekend meeting with Napoli, said the Romanian defender remains fond of the Naples club despite ultimately choosing a different path.
"We were close to Napoli, then life happens. Sunday is an important match, against an important team like Napoli, and he'll try to do his best," Manea said.
"He's certainly still got Napoli somewhat in mind, but now we're at Fiorentina and he'll give 100 per cent to win. At that time Bayern Munich and Tottenham also wanted him — I even spoke with Aurelio De Laurentiis, it was 2023. We said we would go to England because his dream was to play in the Premier League. It didn't go so well, but that's part of life."
Manea also addressed Drăgușin's underwhelming start since joining Fiorentina on loan from Tottenham, attributing it to a lack of match sharpness after a lengthy spell out of the side.
"This start was a bit normal, I expected it. Drăgușin was out for a year and a half, he needed a few games to find his rhythm again. Now I hope to see the real Drăgușin," he said.
He does not expect the club's managerial change to affect the defender's role.
"I don't think anything will change for him with Vanoli, he feels comfortable and has done well since Vanoli arrived. He came to Florence to stay, it's a loan with an obligation to buy after 20 appearances, and I doubt he won't play those. He arrived with the idea of staying, of making an impact at Fiorentina. He has experience in Serie A, in England, he's won the Europa League — he has plenty of experience, but he's still only 24."
Drăgușin joined Fiorentina on loan from Tottenham over the summer, with the move structured to become a permanent transfer for around €17.5 million once he reaches 20 appearances for the club.
Born in Bucharest, the centre-back previously played in Serie A for Genoa and Juventus before his move to England in January 2024, and he remains a regular for Romania's national team, having earned 30 caps and featured at Euro 2024.