Tottenham defender becomes perfect candidate for second Serie A side as transfer battle widens

Eric Dier will have more than just AS Roma to choose from if he wants to move to Serie A after his spell with Tottenham Hotspur, since he has reportedly been identified as a new target for Juventus.

Dier is into the final year of his contract with Tottenham and the only question seems to be whether he will leave them for a fee in January or on a free in the summer. Furthermore, where he will go next is still to be determined.

A move abroad has been regularly touted for Dier, who previously played in Portugal for Sporting CP. There have even been suggestions of a return to the Lisbon outfit, but links have been more common with a new challenge elsewhere.

Bayern Munich have been tipped to take him to the Bundesliga, for instance, or Roma to Serie A.

If it was to happen in January, the move to Roma would reunite Dier with Jose Mourinho, who previously coached him during their time together at Tottenham.

By the summer, though, the situation might be different, since Mourinho’s contract in the Italian capital will be up at the end of the season.

And if Dier has waited until then to pick his next club, then he could have another destination to consider in the shape of Juventus.

According to Calciomercato.it, Juventus have added Dier to their shortlist of players they could pick up for free next year.

READ MORE: The five Tottenham players who are out of contract at the end of the 2023-24 season

They believe he has the leadership skills and technical qualities to fit into Max Allegri’s setup, aware of his ability to play at centre-back or in defensive midfield.

The report does not mention what Dier’s stance regarding Juventus would be, as he continues to weigh up his options.

He has played in Tottenham’s last two matches in the Premier League as a result of absences for usual starting centre-backs Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, but was not given any appearances by Ange Postecoglou before that.

By next summer, Dier will have completed 10 years of service to Tottenham, so it might have been time for a new challenge anyway even if he hadn’t fallen down the pecking order like he has.

Dier due for summer Spurs exit

Reports earlier this week warned Dier that he would have to be patient when trying to leave Tottenham, since they will not sanction his departure unless they have signed a replacement.

The options on their shortlist to reinforce in defence include Bournemouth’s Lloyd Kelly, Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah, Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi and Fulham’s Tosin Adarabioyo, sources have told TEAMtalk – and that’s just the ones currently active in the Premier League.

Another player they have watched, coincidentally, is Juventus’ Gleison Bremer, but Fabrizio Romano has since reported that the Brazilian could sign a new contract in Turin.

Therefore, rather than swapping places with Dier, there could be a chance for the two players to link up at Juventus.

Dier could become the next English player to represent Juventus after Samuel Iling-Junior, who we understand could leave the Old Lady in January and possibly even join Tottenham themselves.