Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has cleared the way for Eric Dier to leave the club in January – with the experienced 361-game Spurs star set to link-up with one of his favourite former managers in Serie A.
Dier moved to north London way back in summer 2014, moving to the club as a relative unknown from Sporting Lisbon. The defender, turned defensive midfielder, quickly established himself at Spurs, soon also becoming a regular for England, where he was to go on and win 49 caps.
However, despite making 42 appearances in all competitions last season under a variety of managers, Dier has quickly found himself dropped from the Tottenham first team under Postecoglou.
Indeed, the 29-year-old star is yet to play a single minute for Tottenham this season, despite his apparent availability after groin surgery that brought a slightly-premature end to the club’s 2022/23 campaign where they finished a lowly eighth.
To that end, Postecoglou does not see a role for the experienced star in his new-look Spurs XI. Not considered dynamic enough to play as one of his two holding midfielders – positions currently held down by Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma – nor considered good enough to play in his central defence – Dier often thrived as the middle man in Tottenham’s three-man central defensive line utilised most commonly in the Antonio Conte years – it seems his time at the club is quickly coming to end.
Having tried to use Dier as a makeweight in the summer in a move for Bournemouth’s Lloyd Kelly, the writing certainly looked to be on the wall for the player.
Furthermore, reports earlier this month, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has made it clear to Dier that he is available for transfer if he can fix himself up with a move.
Jose Mourinho wants Eric Dier to join Roma from Tottenham
And with his deal due to expire in just nine months time, a move away from Tottenham for a nominal fee in January, now looks to be on the cards.
Now according to Calciomercato, Roma are ready to explore a cut-price deal to bring Dier to the Stadio Olimpico in January.
Their manager Jose Mourinho of course knows Dier well having coached him for a couple of seasons in north London. And with doubts growing over Chris Smalling’s long-term fitness, together with a less-than-impressive start to life in Italy from summer signing Evan Ndicka, Roma are reportedly set to open talks over a deal to bring Dier to the Italian capital.
And while the player’s €5m a year salary (£85,000 a week) is said to be a problem, there is a belief from Roma that Dier would be prepared to negotiate a lesser package just to get his career back on track.
Indeed, Dier is one of two players Roma are considering signing in the January window to strengthen the centre of their defence. To that end, RB Salzburg star Oumar Solet is another name coming under consideration.
However, at just 23 years old, Solet would cost a fee of around €15m. And with Dier seen as the cheaper option, a move to bring him to Roma looks to be the preferred option at this moment in time.
As a result, Spurs are reportedly prepared to negotiate Dier’s sale for just €7.5m (£6.4m) with a ruthless Postecoglou unlikely to stand in the player’s way.
Dier will leave Spurs having scored 13 goals across his nine-and-a-half seasons in north London.
