Celtic are said to be ‘admirers’ of Tottenham Hotspur defender Eric Dier according to a report in 90min.
The experienced England international (49 caps) is said to be surplus to requirements at White Hart Lane and is currently fifth in the pecking order at the English Premier League club.
The report also says that Dier is wanted by clubs across Europe with Sporting Lisbon, Monaco and clubs from the Bundesliga all said to be interested in him.
If Celtic were to make their move, they would also be up against Crystal Palace and, possibly, Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr.
Dier signed for Spurs in 2014 and has made 361 appearances for the London club. He has yet to win any silverware in his career so a move to Celtic could appeal to him as he looks to earn his first winners medal.
The Spurs defender can play in the centre of defence and has been utilised as a right-back and the defensive midfield roles so he would offer some versatility to the Celtic team. [Transfermarkt]
Dier has one year left on his contract and from the report in 90min, it seems that any new deal to extend his stay at the Lilywhites is nowhere near to being agreed. He was left out of the Spurs squad for their Premier League opener against Brentford at the weekend.
With Celtic looking to seal the deal for Gustaf Lagerbielke over the coming days, the Swedish defender is set to replace his fellow countryman, Carl Starfelt who moved to Celta Vigo just last week.
However, the injury to Cameron Carter-Vickers in Celtic’s 3-1 win over Aberdeen at the weekend has pressed home the need to add another defender to the ranks, especially as Stephen Welsh is the only backup option with Yuki Kobayashi still injured.
Tomoki Iwata can slot into the central defensive role but he won’t be seen as a long term option especially with the games coming thick and fast.
There is no mention of the transfer fee that would be involved but the report does suggest that teams across Europe would be looking for a ‘cut price’ deal for the 29-year-old.
Wages could be an issue, however. Prior to signing a contract extension in July 2020 [BBC], Dier was said to have been looking to double his then salary of £60k per week [Daily Mail]. It’s not clear whether those demands were met but, clearly, even at £60k Celtic would be hard-pressed to get near that figure.
This is certainly one to watch as the transfer window nears to a close and Brendan Rodgers looks to add more new faces to his Celtic squad.
In other news, Watch: ex-Celtic striker Moussa Dembele scores debut winner for Al-Ettifaq
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