Tottenham Hotspur academy graduate set for first team return as perfect Eric Dier replacement

Tottenham Hotspur may be looking to bring back a familiar face to reinforce their squad and launch a revolution…

This newest report comes from the Sunday People (25/6; page 61), who claim that Ange Postecoglou is interested in attacking his old team to enhance his new one.

While few of Celtic’s players would strengthen this Spurs team, there are a handful who could provide good options in the Premier League.

Cameron Carter-Vickers is one such example, with the Australian boss interested in organizing a reunion.

Given that the USA international came up through the young ranks at N17, there are several layers of legitimacy to this story that could indicate it is a worthwhile move.

However, the Scottish giants retain significant leverage because the 25-year-old still has three years left on his £24k-per-week contract at Celtic Park.

While many players from the Scottish Premiership are unlikely to come to England and quickly take over, the inadequacy of some of the Lilywhites’ starters has clearly earned their dismissal from the starting eleven.

Eric Dier is one such example, having endured a tumultuous campaign during which he was even labeled “not good enough” by analyst Darren Ambrose.

While he has struggled in the league, with a 6.86 average Sofascore rating, Carter-Vickers has excelled in his second year in Scotland.

His 7.14 average rating blows the 29-year-old out of the water as a ball-playing asset, absolutely outperforming the England international. According to Sofascore, the 6 foot 1 ace is arguably on par defensively, with his 1.1 interceptions matching Dier’s and 2.9 clearances per game barely falling short.

It is worth noting that playing for the champions frequently results in a defender having less defensive actions to make because he is instead guiding the play from the back and has the majority of the possession.

This point is emphasized when comparing their ball skills. Last season in the Scottish Premier League, their academy graduate had a pass accuracy rate of 92% and a dribbling success percentage of 100%. The former Sporting CP star could only dream of such results, since he only managed 86% and 60% in those categories, respectively.

Opta’s player analysis tool summarizes Dier’s deficiencies in a nice chart, as his dribbles attempted and defensive actions are lacking.

It is worth noting that playing for the champions frequently results in a defender having less defensive actions to make because he is instead guiding the play from the back and has the majority of the possession.

This point is emphasized when comparing their ball skills. Last season in the Scottish Premier League, their academy graduate had a pass accuracy rate of 92% and a dribbling success percentage of 100%. The former Sporting CP star could only dream of such results, since he only managed 86% and 60% in those categories, respectively.

Opta’s player analysis tool summarizes Dier’s deficiencies in a nice chart, as his dribbles attempted and defensive actions are lacking.

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