Is Eric Dier worth over £50m to Man Utd?

Manchester United are supposedly chasing Eric Dier, and are determined to land their man.

The Red Devils had hoped to secure Nemanja Matic from Chelsea, but having

 swooped in ahead of the Blues to buy Romelu Lukaku it’s now highly unlikely Chelsea will sanction any sale to United even if they sign Tiemoue Bakayoko from Monaco.

So their attention has turned to Dier, Spurs’ defensive midfielder. And the price being quoted is the enormous £50m, a fee which has caused much debate among fans and journalists alike. Is he worth such a massive fee, or would it be ridiculous to pay such an amount?

Not worth it

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There is no doubt Eric Dier is a good player with desirable qualities but for £50m Man Utd could sign a central midfielder that offers even more versatility and has many more strings to his bow. *cough* Fabinho *cough*

With Spurs running rampant playing a 3-4-2-1 at times last season, Eric Dier was arguably most impressive on the right side of a defensive trio. For Man Utd to then spend £50m on a ‘defensive midfielder’ that basically plays his best football in defence would be somewhat ill-advised.

It becomes even more worrying when considering Dier has shown himself to be more limited than he first seemed. His cameos in central midfield for England the best example of it: far from spectacular and at times volatile. The classic English premium is obviously being applied, but even in the current transfer climate, spending that much on Eric Dier is a bit ridiculous.

Jake Entwistle, Twitter and Data lead for Social squawka.com

Not worth it

To claim any footballer is “worth” the enormous sums paid out for them is frankly ridiculous. Clubs with money spend what they have to in order to get the signings they want, and good luck to the players involved. If money is in the game, they should be the ones to see it. Yet there is an football argument as to why Eric Dier is worth at least £50 million to Spurs.

He covers two key positions. His utility enables Mauricio Pochettino to switch between tactical shapes with ease, all the while saving on having to pay for two or more players to cover for all that he does for Tottenham. Is he worth £50 million to Manchester United? No. In July 2016, Jose Mourinho said he wanted specialists not all-arounders. Dier is a very good jack of all trades but United need a great, out-and-out defensive midfielder.

Greg Johnson squawka.com

Worth it

£50-60m for Eric Dier seems a mammoth amount to pay but it isn’t hard to see why Spurs value him so highly; he’s only 23, is an England regular with Premier League experience and is hugely versatile. That final point that is perhaps the most important for Spurs’ valuation. While not as highly-rated as his teammates, Dier is one of the most important players in the side and is extremely well thought of by Mauricio Pochettino.

Dier’s ability to alternate between centre-back and midfield roles allows Spurs to adapt their system in-game between a 3-4-2-1 and 4-2-3-1, as they did to great effect on numerous occasions last season. Technically, he is far better than given credit for as an 87% pass accuracy rate last season shows and if he does join Manchester United he will become a key player for Jose Mourinho, just as he has for Spurs and England.

Oli Young-Myles, Ball CTRL Editor squawka.com

Not worth it

Eric Dier might be worth £50m to someone, but that definitely isn’t Manchester United right now. As often with multi-position players, what is often perceived as a strength in a player’s skillset can often work against the individual.

What is Dier’s best position? There’s not much debate the England international is most comfortable on the right-side of a defensive back three – a position which will not open up at Old Trafford under Jose Mourinho. Dier as a one of two central defenders in a back four is not even in the question.

While experienced as a central midfielder in a double pivot, he won’t play ahead of a fit Victor Wanyama and Mousa Dembele in those positions for Spurs. Dier, while a talented improving footballer, simply will not take United closer to being a Premier League title contender again. For 50 million big ones – whats the point?

Hush Kerai, Assistant Editor squawka.com

Not worth it

“I don’t need an apology. I’ll see him soon,” said Eric Dier after Ander Herrera elbowed him in the face during England’s 2-2 draw with Spain in late 2016. Ominous words as Manchester United and Spurs were set to meet a month later. Anyone who is familiar with United midfield beefs expected fireworks.

Instead, Dier was dropped to the bench, watching from the sidelines as Herrera ran the show in midfield, helping United win 1-0. Pochettino never even brought him off the bench to inject some life into Spurs by clattering Herrera, because the Argentine knew he wouldn’t have done so.

The point is, Eric Dier is a fake tough guy, so he can’t be Mourinho’s midfield enforcer. Worse still, he’s not an overly technical defensive midfielder ala Michael Carrick. He’s a tactically intelligent player who an elite side would use as squad depth. A deluxe James Milner. He isn’t worth £50m and never will be.

Muhammad Butt, Features Writer squawka.com

Final result

NOT WORTH IT