Tottenham Hotspur star tipped to make sensational return to former club in January transfer window

An out of favour Tottenham Hotspur star has been linked with a move back to the country where he grew up after a nine-year stint in the top-flight. Eric Dier arrived at Tottenham from Portuguese giants Sporting CP in the summer of 2014 for a fee of just £4m.

The versatile defender quickly established himself as a stalwart in the team and has accumulated over 300 appearances for the Lillywhites - representing them in the 2015 League Cup final and the 2019 Champions League Final.

Dier started out as a defensive midfielder for Spurs under Mauricio Pochettino and formed a formidable partnership alongside Belgian international Moussa Dembele. Over time, Dier was gradually moved into a deeper role and he was mainly used as a central defender by the likes of Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte.

Such consistent form at club level prompted international recognition and Dier has earned 49 caps for England, whilst representing them at two World Cups and one European Championship. Dier is hopeful of making next summer’s Euro 2024 squad and is reportedly considering his future at Tottenham after a lack of first team opportunities this season.

Since the arrival of Ange Postecoglou as manager, Dier is yet to feature in a single minute of Premier League football.  The defender has mainly been used as a substitute and he is not thought to be a big part of the new manager’s plans.

Reports from the Daily Mail claim that Dier was offered to Bayern Munich at the end of last summer while reports in Italy have claimed that AS Roma’s José Mourinho has continued to be an admirer from afar. But The Times claim that Sporting CP are leading the race to sign the defender in what would be an emotional reunion for the 29-year-old.

Dier started his career in the Portuguese capital where he was raised as a child. He was a member of Sporting’s youth team from the age of seven and emerged as a first team regular when he was just 18-years-old.

Dier is familiar with the language and could offer the team valuable experience as they look to regain the Portuguese title from city-rivals Benfica. The move could also offer Dier a route back into the England setup as Gareth Southgate’s men target their first piece of silverware since 1966.