Sporting Lisbon are looking to sign Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Eric Dier when his contract expires next year, according to The Times.
Dier is yet to play a single minute under Ange Postecoglou and he was again left out of the England squad last week.
The 29-year-old, who is on £85k-per-week wages at the club, will become a free agent at the end of the season, but the Portuguese giants could even make a reduced offer for the defender in January.
Dier underwent groin surgery in May and he is still struggling with fitness. Postecoglou admitted recently that Dier has returned to training and that he is trying his best to make himself available.
However, his future remains uncertain, with Spurs looking to ship out fringe players Hugo Lloris, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, and Bryan Gil along with him.
Return to his old club?
Dier grew up in Portugal and joined Sporting’s academy as a kid. He has got a good relationship with the club’s president, Frederico Varandas and a potential return to his old club could be on the cards. He was wanted by Bayern Munich and AS Roma in recent transfer windows, but Sporting – who are second in the league – could be an attractive destination for him.
He has been a key player for Spurs over the years, managing over 360 appearances in all competitions. But it seems his time at the club is coming to an end. Postecoglou has made drastic changes to the squad, where Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are his preferred central pairing in a four-man defence.
Dier can also play as a defensive midfielder, but the former Celtic boss will be reluctant to disturb the current set-up after Spurs have made a fantastic start to the new campaign where they sit at joint top with Arsenal.
