Premier League hopefuls Spurs are reportedly one of a number of sides interested in signing Ajax’s Eredivisie starlet Frenkie de Jong.
In his early days at Tottenham Hotspur, Eric Dier’s impressive versatility saw him fast-tracked into the first team.
Now however, like so many players of his ilk, that same adaptability has become something of a problem. Dier is now 24 years old and has been part of Spurs’ first-team squad for almost half a decade.
But no one seems quite so sure about his best position. Is he a midfielder or a defender? A right-back even?
And with reports heavily tipping Tottenham to make a move for Frenkie de Jong, what does this mean for Dier’s long-term prospects in North London?
Spurs have been linked with Ajax starlet De Jong for a number of months now. And Mundo Deportivo claimed on Wednesday that Tottenham are planning to hijack Barcelona’s move for the £45 million-rated Dutch international as soon as January.
Mauricio Pochettino is understood to be a huge fan. But where does Dier come in? Well, like the one-time Everton loanee, De Jong is a technically gifted central midfielder who can also play in defence – meaning he would take up largely the same role that Dier occupies in Spurs’ squad.
You could argue that De Jong offers more going forward too, possessing a defence splitting pass and tallying seven assists in 16 Eredivisie starts in 2017/18.
Don’t expect Dier to be forced out of Spurs any time soon but De Jong’s potential arrival could put him under pressure to take his game to the next level.
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