Report: Tottenham Hotspur’s Eric Dier has expressed a desire to play at centre-back rather than holding midfield

Middlesbrough FC v Tottenham Hotspur - FA Cup Third Round
Middlesbrough FC v Tottenham Hotspur - FA Cup Third Round

Tottenham Hotspur star Eric Dier has featured in 20 games across all competitions for the side this season, but it’s safe to say he’s not one of the first names on the team sheet.

The 26-year-old has a little more than a year left on his current contract and is not eager to put pen to paper on a new deal.

According to the Daily Mail, Dier wants to be assured that he will be a major player in boss Jose Mourinho’s first-team plans going forward before thinking of extending his stay at Tottenham.

The England international has also expressed a desire to play regularly at centre-back rather than holding midfield – a position that has long been associated with him at both club and country level.

While Dier can feature in both roles, a large chunk of the over 200 games he has played for the North London club has been in holding midfield, and it will be interesting to see if Jose will be keen to convert him to a centre-back on a permanent basis.

The Spurs star has featured twice in the position this term, but Davinson Sánchez and Toby Alderweireld remain the first-choice defensive pairing, while Jan Vertonghen provides cover.

New kid on the block Japhet Tanganga is also primarily a centre-back, but has featured prominently as a full-back since making his Premier League debut against Liverpool.

Dier is presently struggling for regular game time at Tottenham, and he can’t seem to break into the starting XI either as a holding midfielder or centre-back.

Could his days be numbered at the club?

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