Amid transfer speculation linking him with a move to Manchester United, Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has warned Eric Dier over his future.
Spurs snapped up the Sporting Lisbon ace in 2014 for just £4m, and in just under three years at White Hart Lane, Dier has become an important figure in their plans and a regular England international.
Pochettino deserves plenty of credit for his rise, and the Argentine tactician evidently feels as though the 23-year-old owes a lot to Tottenham for putting him in the position that he’s in today.
The Sun report that United could be willing to splash out £40m on Dier and include Luke Shaw in a possible deal too, but if Pochettino has a say in the matter, it’s clear that he doesn’t want to see his man leave the club.
“It’s important to analyse Eric from where he came because I think people are a bit confused sometimes.
“When we signed him he was a player with potential. We’ve provided all the tools for him to be a Premier League player.”
Dier’s versatility has made him a pivotal figure in the Spurs squad, and as per the report, it’s suggested that his ability to play in a deep midfield role has attracted Jose Mourinho’s attention as he continues to search for a long-term replacement for Michael Carrick.
That in itself would be enough to convince many players that they should move to Old Trafford given that it’s such a prominent role on offer. However, Tottenham will hope that they’ve moved past the tag of being a ‘selling club’, having been forced to part company with several key players to the likes of United and Real Madrid in the past when they’ve come knocking.