Why Eric Dier would be a smart addition to the Leicester City squad

According to a report from the Daily Mail, Eric Dier is one of the five players set to be transfer-listed by Tottenham in January as Mauricio Pochettino looks to freshen up his squad.

Tottenham went into the international break in miserable circumstances after conceding 10 goals in two games with the 3-0 defeat by Brighton following the 7-2 demolition by Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Eric Dier started the game in midfield for Spurs but looked woefully out of depth against Brighton last weekend.

The England international, 25, has struggled for minutes this season following the arrival of Tanguy Ndombele, managing just three appearances till date. Harry Winks appears to be the preferred option alongside Ndombele and so Dier has been forced to take a fringe role this term.

With Pochettino willing to sell the defensive midfielder in January, former Tottenham and Sunderland striker Darren Bent has urged Leicester City to consider signing Dier.

Leicester City are aiming to break into the top four under Brendan Rodgers this season. The Foxes have a spine of the team that is experienced – in Jonny Evans, Jamie Vardy and Kasper Schmeichel in goal. They have proven winners and young and exciting talent around them.

Brendan Rodgers has done exceptionally well since arriving at the King Power Stadium in the second half of last season.

His aim will be to get the ticket for European football next term by playing an entertaining, attractive brand of football. Truly, the northern Irishman’s squad would certainly benefit from the addition of Eric Dier in the mid-season trading period.

Dier joined Tottenham from Sporting Lisbon in 2014 and has gone on to make 157 Premier League appearances for the club.

In his 2018/19 campaign, the 25-year-old managed to feature only 28 times for Spurs across all competitions despite having several separate injury problems that caused him to have spells on the sidelines. But now back to full fitness, he could make a difference at Leicester.

Predominantly a defensive midfielder, Dier can also operate at centre-back and right-back. Leicester do have an array of midfielders and the addition of Dier would be just to increase the depth in that department.

At centre-back, the Foxes need to strengthen following the summer exit of Harry Maguire and he wouldn’t be the worst option.

The England international would compete with the likes of Jonny Evans, Caglar Soyuncu, Wes Morgan and Filip Benkovic for a place in central defence.

Dier likes to sit deep and set the tempo of the match with his conservative passing. Known for his tackling skills and versatility, he is very efficient on the defensive front.

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Plus, the former Sporting Lisbon starlet would provide the kind of experience that’ll come handy for a Leicester side aiming to break into the top four.

Verdict

If the opportunity arises in January, Leicester must not hesitate to sign Dier from Tottenham.