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United’s next addition could be a Brit

By Josh McSwain

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 14: Eric Dier of Tottenham Hotspur attempts to get past Daley Blind of Manchester United during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at White Hart Lane on May 14, 2017 in London, England. Tottenham Hotspur are playing their last ever home match at White Hart Lane after their 112 year stay at the stadium. Spurs will play at Wembley Stadium next season with a move to a newly built stadium for the 2018-19 campaign. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 14: Eric Dier of Tottenham Hotspur attempts to get past Daley Blind of Manchester United during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at White Hart Lane on May 14, 2017 in London, England. Tottenham Hotspur are playing their last ever home match at White Hart Lane after their 112 year stay at the stadium. Spurs will play at Wembley Stadium next season with a move to a newly built stadium for the 2018-19 campaign. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) /
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With all the noise around the former Manchester United striker leaving Madrid and returning to the Theatre of Dreams, the next addition to Jose Mourinho’s outfit may come from England.

Last summer it was inevitable that Paul Pogba was coming back to United after being sold as a teenager under Sir Alex Ferguson. It was just a matter of working out the dollars and cents. Although his first few league games back at Old Trafford were somewhat underwhelming, he became the midfield presence he was brought in to be.

That said, Pogba is not a guy that you count on to hold the line on defense. That would be the job that was held by Michael Carrick and Ander Herrera. As Carrick gets up there in years and his career winds down, it is imperative that another talent be brought in to hold the line. But now they are looking to bring in a young English talent to fill that role for a number of years.

Enter Eric Dier. The Cheltenham native is just 23 years old and was one of the key cogs in a Tottenham defense that allowed just 26 goals this season. While Spurs had a good back line they also didn’t allow many shots because Dier and the defensive mids were so good at stifling opposing attacks. Alas, the talented and versatile Dier will not come cheap as the London side is asking for 50 million pounds for him.

Furthermore, at 6-2 he won two aerial duels per game. While whoscored.com rates him at 6.87 as a defender, he was over seven at both defensive mid and center mid. His 4.1 clears per game put him well ahead of Herrera in that category, and the two players would complement each other well if Mourinho sticks with the 4-2-3-1 formation he ran a lot of last season. The two of them in front of young defensive stalwarts in Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof would give United an imposing defensive presence for years to come.

Next: Tottenham can afford to sell Dier for the right price

As Dier is such a young talent, he certainly will improve with time. United has deep pockets right now and they are building to win both now and later. This would be a great signing as it bolsters their lineup while also reducing that of another team they are directly competing against for the Premier League title.

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