Eric Dier has joined Bundesliga side, Bayern Munich, on a loan deal until the end of the season after Tottenham Hotspur deemed the centre-back surplus to requirements.
The player arrived in Germany on Thursday morning to have his medical with the current Bundesliga champions and the move has now been finalised. The German club will have an option to purchase Dier at the end of the loan spell.
This move is a return to Europe for Dier, as before joining Spurs in 2014, he spent the early part of his career in Portugal, with Sporting Lisbon. Dier's form during his time in the Premier League saw him win 49 caps for England and get called up to three major international tournaments.
Dier featured regularly for Spurs in his first nine seasons at the club and was particularly impressive in the 2021/2022 season under then-manager, Antonio Conte, as the club secured a top-four finish in the Premier League.
However, the England international has struggled for game time this season, playing in just four league games under new boss Ange Postecoglou, with just one of those appearances coming from the start. Dier was not being selected regularly as he did not fit in with the energetic and high-pressing playing style that was being implemented by Postecoglou.
Dier's struggle for minutes on the pitch came even when Spurs had limited options at centre-back in recent months. Right back, Emerson Royal, and left-back, Ben Davies, have previously been getting starts in central defence ahead of the Englishman.
Dier now departs Spurs having made 365 appearances and scored 13 goals for the club across nine and a half seasons.
In his time at Spurs, Dier was often deployed as a centre-back and would sometimes fill in across the defence. He even featured as a holding midfielder when Mauricio Pochettino was the manager but he has not played there for quite some time.
On Thursday, Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel gave his thoughts on the arrival of Dier during a pre-match press conference for his side's Bundesliga match with Hoffenheim on Friday.
Tuchel mentioned where Dier would play under him and the benefits of the signing, saying: "We're getting him for the centre-back position. He can play right or left centre-back as well as in a back three. We got him mainly so Leon Goretzka can be free to play in midfield and doesn't have to switch to centre-back anymore."
After the loan move was completed, Dier spoke about his pride in joining the Bundesliga club. He said: "This move is a dream come true for me, because as a child you want to play for a club like Bayern one day. Bayern is one of the biggest clubs in the world and has an incredible history."
Dier will now link up with his England colleague and former Spurs teammate, Harry Kane, once he is officially unveiled as a Bayern Munich player. Kane departed Spurs last summer in a big-money move and has settled excellently in Germany, netting 25 goals in all competitions so far this season.
Like Kane, Dier has yet to taste any silverware in his career so far, meaning there will be extra incentive to help Bayern Munich win the Bundesliga for a 12th time in succession. Also, the UEFA Champions League will be a target, with Bayern Munich currently possessing one of the strongest squads in Europe.
Bayern's match with Hoffenheim will most likely be too soon for Dier's debut so his first appearance may come on January 21st against Werder Bremen in the league.
Spurs have brought in a replacement for Dier, as Romanian centre back, Radu Dragusin, has completed a £25 million switch from Genoa. Dragusin was also of interest to Bayern Munich, and the German club even attempted to hijack the deal earlier in the week, but the 21-year-old defender chose Spurs as his next destination.
The North London side have been active in this January transfer window as Timo Werner has been brought in on a loan deal until the end of the season. Spurs will have the opportunity to sign the German forward on a permanent deal once the loan spell ends for a fee close to £15 million.
