Tottenham outcast Eric Dier holds talks with Daniel Levy after Ange Postecoglou snub – report
Tottenham centre-back Eric Dier has held talks with club chairman Daniel Levy after being frozen out of the first team setup by Ange Postecoglou, according to The Telegraph.
According to the UK publication (7 September), Dier has held a “frank” conversation with Levy over the past week, although there is no suggestion of any row or fall-out.
It is believed that the details of the meeting have been kept private, but it was called by Levy to discuss his situation and what the future might hold for the England international who is yet to feature in a matchday squad for Spurs during Postecoglou’s first five games in charge.
The Telegraph also writes that Dier’s treatment has come as a surprise from those around the club given he has been at Spurs for the past nine years and been part of the club’s leadership group in recent years.
Seems unfair, but the end is nigh
With Dier’s contract still having a year to run, it’s very unclear what Spurs will want to do with the England international seeing as he clearly isn’t involved and is not a part of Postecoglou’s thinking for the campaign.
The treatment of the 29-year-old is indeed surprising and probably unfair given his longevity and loyalty to the club over the past nine years but the end is nigh for Dier and he’ll need to take any decision regarding his future with great care.
Dier has now reached his prime years and certainly needs to be playing football, especially at the highest level if he can.
After much interest from Saudi Arabia over the summer transfer window, the fact that he still remains a Spurs player indicates that he still sees himself playing amongst the elite this season but no such moves have materialised as of yet.
It’s clear the club and Postecoglou have undertaken a new direction right now, but after the sales of Davinson Sanchez and Japhet Tanganga, Spurs are awfully short at centre-back, which means a lifeline for Dier may well be on the cards.
However, the former Celtic boss has been regularly associated with an expansive, progressive, high-octane style that he utilised so impressively during his two years at Parkhead.
The England international hasn’t even proven over the past 365 days that he can fulfil the progressive duties that Postecoglou demands from his centre-backs, ranking only in the 60th percentile for pass completion per 90, among centre-backs within Europe’s top five leagues, and in the 40th percentile for progressive passes per 90 [FBRef].
It remains unclear what Spurs plan to do with Dier right now, but Postecoglou’s position on the centre-back is quite clear and the numbers above certainly indicate that he doesn’t have a future at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
In other Tottenham news, Spurs have reached an agreement with Grasshopper Club Zurich for the permanent sale of one talented academy product.