Everton pulled out of a deal to sign Tottenham defender Eric Dier during his time at Sporting Lisbon, report the London Evening Standard.
Dier spent a year on loan at the Toffees between 2011 and 2012, before returning to Sporting, where he established himself as one of the most exciting young defenders in Portugal.
His good performances earned him a move to Tottenham, where he has developed into a well accomplished defender and midfielder. He has also made 15 appearances for the England national team, for whom he is an important member of the squad.
Things could have been a lot different for Dier, however, who could well be lining up for one of Tottenham’s Premier League counterparts if things went differently.
The Standard cite former Toffees defender Alan Stubbs in reporting that Everton once had the opportunity to sign Dier for a fee in the region of £1million, but it was not financially plausible at the time. He is, without a doubt, one that got away…