London: Manchester United have been quoted a 50 million pounds valuation of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Eric Dier, whom Jose Mourinho wants signed in time for the new season.
The England international is on the list of targets that Mourinho has given to vice-chairman Ed Woodward, who has so far landed Victor Lindelof, the Benfica defender, for pounds 30.75 million. The United manager regards Dier as the long-term replacement for Michael Carrick, another United acquisition from Spurs 11 years ago, who has been given another one-year extension to keep him at Old Trafford until the summer of 2018.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy’s 50 million valuation of Dier is more than United expect to pay for the 23-year-old, who has developed considerably under Mauricio Pochettino. He can also play at centre-back but it is in midfield that Mourinho sees him in the long term.
Pochettino warned Dier in March that it was Spurs who had taken his career to another level and “provided all the tools to be a Premier League player”. However, it is only at the traditional Premier League big payers that Dier can expect to earn the pounds 150,000-a-week-plus salaries not on offer at Spurs.
He signed a new deal in September that took him to around pounds 70,000 a week and could probably expect another new extended contract later this year were he to stay. Since signing Dimitar Berbatov from Spurs in 2008, United have not gone back to negotiate seriously with Levy for a player despite having had interest in Luka Modric and Gareth Bale.
Mourinho has made it very clear to Woodward and head of corporate development Matt Judge that he wants Dier.
— The Telegraph Group Limited, London 2017
