Tottenham midfielders compete for the same role, and there is not much on offer.
After a departure had seemed inevitable, Victor Wanyama ended the transfer window staying at Tottenham Hotspur.
Wanyama is not in line to get much game time if the start of the season is anything to go by and faces an uphill task to change manager Mauricio Pochettino’s mind.
The Kenyan staying put is also bad news for Eric Dier, who has had a hapless 2019 due to injuries and ill health.
For Dier, Wanyama’s arrival was the moment his Tottenham career began to go downhill.
Dier was one of the stars of Tottenham’s 2015/16 season, becoming a regular in central midfield and earning a starting berth for England at the European Championships.
Wanyama’s signing shunted Dier out of the starting line up at Tottenham, or at least dictated he was no longer an automatic choice.
It was a harsh move from Mauricio Pochettino, where Dier was concerned, but the manager knew Wanyama’s quality having worked with him at Southampton.
Had the Kenyan had better luck with injuries, the signing would have been an astute one.
As it is, the legacy of Wanyama’s signature may be the affect it has had on Dier, reducing his importance to the side.
Now the two players are competing for scraps, with neither figuring in Pochettino’s first choice XI.
Wanyama’s departure would have helped Dier with a clean slate, but instead him staying just makes his situation more confusing.
Dier could have done with a bit of luck, having missed so much game time in 2019, including most recently the North London derby.
He needs to demonstrate his importance to the side once again, but Wanyama will be battling to do exactly the same, and there is likely to be room for only one of them in Pochettino’s matchday squad of 18 each week.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
