Eric Dier’s situation has changed again. Initially, he was expected to leave Tottenham in the upcoming January winter transfer window. However, an injury to first-choice center back Mickey van der Penn has changed that.
James Maddison and van der Penn went down with injuries, Destiny Udoh and Christian Romero were sent off, and in the aftermath, Spurs bounced back to lose 1-2 at Wolverhampton in their next game.
Up until this point, Dier had been a surplus at Tottenham. In just one season, his place in the lineup had become untenable.레모나토토 주소
Dier is a center back defender who has played for Tottenham since 2014. He was born in England, but came up through the youth ranks of Sporting Portugal and made his way to the Premier League. At the beginning of his career, his main position was defensive midfielder. However, he switched to the center back position at Tottenham under Jose Mourinho, where he was successful.
He has been playing consistently since the 2014-2015 season. Except for the 2018-2019 season, he has made a place for himself by playing more than 30 games per season.
Last season was a career high. He was trusted by Antonio Conte and became the centerpiece of Tottenham’s defense. He made his presence felt in the starting lineup every game and was recognized with a call-up to the England national team. He’s also known among domestic soccer fans as the closest player to Son Heung-min at Tottenham.
That changed last summer when Postecoglou became the new Spurs boss. Postecoglou left Dier out of the squad. He opted for a defensive center back line with new Bundesliga signings Van der Penn and Christian Romero.
I’ve been on the bench a lot this season.
The results have been good. Tottenham went unbeaten in the Premier League in the first 10 games of the season. Eight wins and two draws. They were first in the Premier League. Dyer’s absence was not felt. During this time, Dyer didn’t play a single game, but Spurs went on to win.
Dyer’s departure was rumored. In fact, Dyer transfer speculation started before the season even began. Bayern Munich were the aggressors. With a shallow depth chart on the defensive line, they saw Dyer as a valuable backup.
AS Roma, with José Mourinho, who used Dyer during his time at Tottenham, were also interested. It seemed like a no-brainer that Dyer would leave in the winter transfer window. Tottenham didn’t need to keep him, as he was a surplus resource.
However, recent developments at Spurs have given Dyer a chance to make his mark again. Dier started the last game against Wolverhampton. His first start of the season. The team lost 1-2, but Dier’s performance wasn’t too bad. He is likely to start against Aston Villa on Saturday.
If Tottenham sends Dier to Munich, they’ll have even more holes in their already shallow roster. To put out the immediate fire, I’m leaning towards keeping Dier.
Munich are embarrassed. Just a few days ago, they seemed to be close to signing Dyer. Dyer himself was interested in joining Munich. On January 15, British outlet Football Insider reported that “Dier is keen on a move to Munich in the winter transfer window next January. Tottenham are also keen to sell him. However, Spurs are planning to send Dyer on a full transfer, not a loan.”
Above all, it is important for Munich to give Kim Min-jae time to rest. Dyer’s arrival would give him a breather. He is currently playing full-time for Munich for 14 consecutive games, which puts a lot of pressure on his body. The controversy over his abuse is a major topic of debate in Germany as well as in Korea.
Diary.
On the 15th, German media outlet ‘Sport1’ focused on Kim Min-jae’s physical fitness and raised the issue. “Kim Min-jae’s stamina is too high. I don’t know how long he can maintain his current performance.” “Bayern Munich only has three players who can play central defense. The depth of players in this position is very shallow. Kim Min-jae is the only one of them who is a consistent central defender. The problem is his fitness: it’s the A-match period, but after joining the South Korean national team, he has to play again. There is no time to rest. Munich has to take care of him.”
This season, Kim has had no time to rest. He has been playing full-time for 14 consecutive games. He has played 959 of Munich’s 990 Bundesliga minutes. In the UEFA Champions League, he has played all four matches without missing a second. Played in 17 of Munich’s 18 official matches this season. Sixteen of them were starts. The defensive reliance on Kim Min-jae, coupled with Munich’s weak central defense, has made his playing time difficult to control.
Another central defender, Matthijs de Ligt, has been sidelined since suffering an injury while playing for the Netherlands national team last summer. Central defender Dayo Upamecano, who is paired with Kim Min-jae, has also missed a number of games due to injury.
“Kim Min-jae has played too much,” said Sport1. When he first arrived in Munich, his first words were ‘hello’. Now, he seems to be saying, ‘I’m fine.’ That’s how many people are worried about him.”
Kim Min-jae’s hard work is paying off. In recent matches, his declining stamina has been noticeable. He has been slowing down and struggling in the final minutes of games. In the last game against Heidenheim, he made a passing error that led to a goal.
Even though Munich won 4-2, the post-match comments were harsh on Kim Min-jae. The old statistical outlet ‘Couch Score’ gave him a rating of 6.5. Another soccer statistics site, Footmob, gave him a rating of 7.0, the lowest among the Munich defense. This was the lowest rating of all the Munich starters, behind only Manuel Neuer and Jamal Musalla.
Considering his usual performances, this is certainly a lower rating than he’s used to. Given his recent playing time, it’s strange that he hasn’t dropped off.
Without Dyer, Kim won’t have time to rest.
Kim’s fitness problems aren’t just a one-day thing. Before the game against Heidenheim, it was evident in the UEFA Champions League group stage match against Galatasaray. In the 44th minute of that game, there was a moment that had fans worried. After Munich had cleared a Galatasaray attack, Kim Min-jae saw the ball go out of play and leaned down to stretch as if he had pulled a muscle. It’s not uncommon for players to stretch during a game, but given his recent history, it doesn’t look like he’s feeling too comfortable.
He hasn’t had a single minute of rest since the Bundesliga match against Mönchengladbach on September 3. He was called up to the national team during the A-match and played with the Korean flag. It’s a grueling schedule that’s bound to take its toll on Kim. He had to play more than his fair share of minutes at the beginning of the season due to an injury to Munich’s central defense. Matthias Der Licht and Upamecano have alternated injuries throughout the season. Tuchel had only two first-team central defenders available to him, along with Kim Min-jae.
Even in a star-studded Munich squad, Kim is a key player, and Tuchel has a lot of faith in him. “He’s a big, fast and very reliable defender,” Tuchel says, “and his career is really unique. He has proven himself over and over again. I’m happy that he joined Munich. We had several video calls. He is a real man. He is ready to play right away.”
Even national team coach Jürgen Klinsmann has no intention of giving him a break during the A-match. In an official interview on the 15th, he said, “It would be more pleasant for a player to play five consecutive A matches rather than just training.”
Kim Min-jae was called up to the national team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America. He started the match against Singapore on July 17. The controversy over brutalization in South Korea and Germany hasn’t bothered Klinsmann.
“The most tiring time for a player is when he lands after a 12-hour flight,” Klinsmann said. “Kim did some light indoor recovery training on the first day after the long flight. A 30-minute break would help him recover and be ready for the next day’s training. (“As a player, it feels good to play five games in a row, but it doesn’t feel good to just train. World Cup qualifiers are the games you want to play, not the ones you want to rest. I’m sure Kim Min-jae is the same way. I think that’s what the German media did because they had to write a story.”
If Dier does end up staying at Tottenham, Munich’s defense will also suffer. It also means that the Kim Min-jae bullying controversy will not end, at least not this season.