Paul Merson believes that Tottenham allowing Eric Dier to join Bayern Munich for “absolutely nothing” could be very beneficial for the England international.
Dier joined Bayern Munich on loan with an option to buy, as he was expendable in north London, according to Ange Postecoglou.
Tottenham instead pushed for a swap of Genoa defender Radu Dragusin and beat Bayern Munich thanks to Daniel Levy’s stamina.
Dier’s departure ends almost a decade of service at Tottenham, who he joined for a similar compensation to what Bayern will have to pay to make the transfer permanent.
Merson believes the deal could suit all parties.
“His agent will get a knighthood!” he told Sky Sports. “He’s probably thinking, ‘I hope Anta and Deca aren’t here!
‘No, he’s a good professional. For £3-4 million he’s a decent signing. He can play as a midfield player. From £3 to £4 million he is absolutely nothing. He’s played abroad, in Portugal, you know he can settle down.
“I think it’s a great move for Bayern as well. Certain players don’t suit certain teams. He didn’t suit Tottenham’s way of playing, but he could suit Bayern Munich’s way of playing.”
Speaking about the transfer earlier in the week, Merson said. I’m sure he’s sitting there now thinking, ‘I didn’t think that wish worked when he threw that £50’. Seriously!?”
By the way, this is absolutely textbook Merson. All that’s missing is the sentence about Dier being a sack of revels, and we’re golden.
“I like Dier,” Merson continued. “I think he’s a player who holds the middle of the court. I don’t think he’s a centre half.
“If he plays there, and there’s talk about Kimmich maybe going somewhere. That’s fair enough for him. I think he could do a very good job.”
Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel spoke with enthusiasm about his new player: “I think he is more or less a specialist for the central defensive role. He has played as a midfielder in the past. He can play as part of a back four and a back three, so we can free up Leon Goretzka in the middle of the park so he doesn’t have to switch between playing as a No 8 and playing in depth.”
Dier described the transfer as “a dream come true” and described Bayern as “one of the greatest clubs in the world” with “an incredible history” and “one of the best stadiums in the world”. But does it have a cheese factory?