Tottenham could be conspiring ahead of Eric Dier’s exit

Tottenham appeared to squash rumors of Eric Dier’s departure in recent weeks — so why doesn’t it seem like they are preparing for life without him?

Two new rumors appeared over the weekend, linking Tottenham to young talent at both centre-back and defensive midfield.

The most prominent of these rumors, of course, concern the rumored-to-be-in-process (though maybe not) transfer of Davinson Sánchez. The 21-year-old Ajax centre-back excelled last season as his team finished second in the Eredivisie and reached the Europa League final.

We covered Sánchez’s viability at length this weekend, and consider yourself encouraged to check out Gary Pearson’s great breakdown of the young star.

Suffice it say, though, that his arrival at Spurs for the rumored amount would — presumably — seriously jeopardize Dier’s place in the starting XI. Certainly neither of Jan Vertonghen or Toby Alderweireld are at risk of being dropped, so that ax will likely fall on Dier instead.

Which, on its own, doesn’t really tell us a whole lot. Rotation will be necessary throughout the season, so Dier will still get minutes. His preferred position is in defensive midfield anyhow, and he could enter into a comfortable rotation with Victor Wanyama in that role.

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Whispers on Monday hinting at Spurs’ interest in Celta Vigo youth product Pape Cheikh seem to undercut that theory as well however. Though the 20-year-old Senegal-born, Spain youth team veteran primarily featured for Celta’s reserve squad last season, he still rates as an intriguing prospect. What’s more, if the Guardian is to be believed, he might prove relatively cheap at £8 million.

In all honesty, these two rumors in conjunction don’t add up to a lot. As thrilling as it might be to inject some fresh blood into Spurs’ roster, neither player can reasonably be expected to immediately replace the value Dier’s presence adds to the team. If the past two summer transfer windows have taught us anything, it’s that it takes time to adjust to both England and Mauricio Pochettino.

There are real holes in a lot of midfields in the Premier League though, and plenty of money to spend. While Manchester United appear to have their problem sorted with the acquisition of Nemanja Matić, it’s hard to argue that many other clubs near the top of the table wouldn’t benefit from help like that which Dier can provide.

So if 2017/18 is going to be a year in which Tottenham consolidate their gains, the powers that be might feel compelled to profit off a player they need less than ever while the market is still hot.

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Given Dier’s selfless performances over the past two seasons, it would be far from an easy decision to make. But it would finance further upgrades in the Spurs squad while also affording a talented player the minutes he deserves — even if they come elsewhere.