Photograph: Vince Mignott/EPA
Eric Dier is close to a dream January move to Bayern Munich, with an agreement in place over his personal terms. Tottenham maintain there has been no direct contact between them and the Bundesliga champions; they would want a fee if Dier was to move now.
But the wheels are turning on a deal for the centre-half, who is out of favour under Ange Postecoglou and out of contract at the end of the season.
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The Bayern manager, Thomas Tuchel, admires Dier’s qualities, not least his versatility, believing he could also play in defensive midfield. Were Dier to go to Bavaria, he would be reunited with his former Spurs teammate and good friend, Harry Kane. The striker signed for Bayern last summer.
Postecoglou said that Dier had not been in the squad for Friday night’s 1-0 FA Cup win over Burnley because he had “pulled up sore and didn’t train” on Thursday. He was furious at a suggestion that the player’s surprise absence was linked to the interest from Bayern.
“Separate issue but don’t question my integrity,” Postecoglou said. “When I say he’s injured, he’s injured. He didn’t train yesterday. I can get Vision [Spurs’ training footage] in for you, you can ask him. It’s got nothing to do with anything else.”
Postecoglou said he was not across the Bayern links as he had been focused on the Burnley game. “When you ask me whether he’s injured, he’s injured,” he continued. “I didn’t make that up. If he wasn’t injured I’d say he wasn’t selected. It’s easy for me to say.
“He’s injured and in terms of anything else that’s happening, it’s not on my radar. If there is something I’m sure I’ll hear of it but fair to say in the last 24 hours we’ve been focusing on the game and the guys that are available.”
Postecoglou wants a new centre-half and his No 1 target is Genoa’s Radu Dragusin. Talks are ongoing over him. Postecoglou reported that Ben Davies, who has covered in central defence in the wake of injuries to Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, damaged his hamstring against Burnley.
It prompted a question as to whether Spurs could afford to lose Dier in the January window. “Yes,” said Postecoglou, after a pause and a glare.
