Bayern coach Tuchel confirms Eric Dier has arrived in Munich ahead of likely transfer

MUNICH (AP) — Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel confirmed Thursday that the club is trying to finalize a deal to sign Tottenham defender Eric Dier and that the England international has arrived in Munich.

“From experience, we know that things can go wrong at the last moment. He is in Munich at the moment and we are trying to sign him, to finalize the deal and by doing so get another option as a defender for our squad,” Tuchel said.

Tuchel’s warning about deals going wrong appeared to be a reference to how Bayern came close to signing Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha in September but the deal collapsed at the last minute.

Dier has played just four games this season for Tottenham, with his comparative lack of pace seen as a poor fit for coach Ange Postecoglou’s high defensive line. Dier’s only start of the season came in a 2-1 loss to Wolverhampton in November.

Dier’s arrival would add instant depth to a thin Bayern defense which has been depleted further by Kim Min-jae playing for South Korea at the Asian Cup this month. Dier mostly played as a defensive midfielder earlier in his career but Tuchel said he saw Dier nowadays as a “specialist” in central defense.

Dier has played 49 times for England, including at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, and made his most recent appearance in April.

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