Premier League giants, Chelsea, and German champions, Bayern Munich, are keeping a close eye on Eric Dier’s situation at Tottenham Hotspur.
Dier started Tottenham’s first five matches in the Premier League in central midfield before suffering a muscle injury in September. He returned to the squad in mid-October, but since then has failed to cement a regular spot in the starting XI.
He lost his place in the midfield to Mousa Dembélé, and, in recent weeks, has been used as a centre-back by Mauricio Pochettino, the Spurs manager, to cover for the injured Toby Alderweireld.
According to reports from the Times, the midfielder is unhappy with the amount of game time he is getting this season and is also concerned that it could hamper his international prospects under Gareth Southgate. The 22-year-old midfielder was dropped from the starting XI in last Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford, as Alderweireld returned from injury.
Dier has not complained about the limited game time or being deployed in defence this season, but he is certainly concerned about getting opportunities in his preferred role. Pochettino views Dembélé and Victor Wanyama as his first choice central midfield pairing, while Harry Wings, 20, is fast emerging as a reliable back-up option.
Southgate wants to build his England squad based on a strong midfield partnership of Dier and Jordan Henderson, but he may have to change his plans if the Spurs midfielder doesn’t get chances to play regularly for his club.
Dier signed a five-year contract extension in September, and there is no chance of him leaving the club in January. However, he may consider moving elsewhere next summer if his situation doesn’t improve over the course of the season.
Chelsea are closely monitoring his situation as Antonio Conte wants to bolster his midfield with versatile players who are equally capable of playing in central defence.
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