Munich has one football-playing Brit richer. On Thursday afternoon, FC Bayern was about to sign defensive man Eric Dier from English first division club Tottenham Hotspur – an official confirmation from the German record champions was still pending early in the afternoon, but the Englishman was already spotted at Munich Airport by a TV team from ” Sky Sport” and is scheduled to complete a medical check this Thursday.
At the airport he got out of a black van, shook a few hands and was asked if he was looking forward to his time at Bayern. “Very much, very much,” he replied. Very. This could also be due to a friend of his who has been storming for Munich since last summer. It is not known what part Harry Kane played in the signing of his former teammate, but he may not have been completely uninvolved.
The 29-year-old Dier is a defensive man who played in defensive midfield, but mainly in central defense, in his appearances for the English national team and Tottenham. From time to time he also moved to the right-back position. In Munich he is particularly interesting for the defense center, as Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel confirmed at a press conference on Thursday. Although he still wants to wait for an agreement between the two clubs, he fundamentally welcomes “getting another alternative for our central defense.”
A defensive commitment has become necessary because Bayern will lose two defensive pillars with Minjae Kim, who is playing for South Korea in the Asian Cup, and the Moroccan Noussair Mazraoui (Africa Cup) by mid-February and in important games like this The top game against Leverkusen in the league or the first leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League against Lazio Rome are missing. Because Bayern’s actual dream player, the Romanian Radu Dragusin, did not move to Munich but to Tottenham, Dier came into focus. And he apparently saw his desire to change confirmed by the new competition at the “Spurs”.
Whether he can fill the gaps in the defense not only physically but also qualitatively can be viewed at least somewhat critically. He has regularly struggled with injuries in the past and has only made four appearances in the current Premier League season. His form has also fluctuated greatly in recent seasons. After all, the 29-year-old is one of the advocates of the more rustic style and has a worker’s mentality.
His contract in Tottenham would expire at the end of the season and Bayern are reportedly paying four million euros for his signing. His contract therefore runs until at least 2025.
Sources: Sky Sport, DPA
