Ex-Tottenham captain Graham Roberts thought that Eric Dier might have reunited with Jose Mourinho at Roma this summer.
Dier has been a regular at Tottenham since joining from Sporting Lisbon in 2014, but the England defender endured the toughest of his seven seasons in north London, which has raised doubts over his future at the club.
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But heading into the new campaign, with summer signing Cristian Romero possibly not yet ready, Dier could start Tottenham’s Premier League opener against Manchester City on Sunday despite being put on the transfer list with several of his teammates.
Roberts, though, thought Dier could have made the switch to Serie A and link up with Mourinho, who’s been a huge fan of the 28-year-old since he tried to sign when he was Manchester United manager.
Asked about Tottenham’s defensive options heading into the new campaign, he exclusively told This is Futbol that he’s surprised Dier is still at the club:
“I thought he might have gone to Roma and joined Mourinho.”
Whilst Dier’s form last season was a major concern, his versatility, experience and popularity in the dressing room makes him an asset for any manager, so it’s little surprise he was admired by Mourinho and is in Nuno Espirito Santo’s thinking.