Is Eric Dier the next Xabi Alonso? That’s what Bayern Munich seem to think

OK, let's preface this by saying we're big fans of Eric Dier.

Now that we've established that and pre-empted the backlash from Spurs fans, we feel comfortable suggesting that comparisons to Xabi Alonso may be coming a tad early. Dier is an excellent young player and his versatility at the tender age of 22 would suggest that he's got a tremendously promising career ahead of him. And Bayern Munich rate the Spurs youngster so highly that they reportedly consider him a long-term replacement for current defensive midfielder Xabi Alonso. German outlet Bild claim the reigning Bundesliga champions sent scouts to watch Dier when Spurs took on Borussia Dortmund in the last 16 of the Europa League. According to the newspaper, Bayern now "have a crush" on Dier who can play as a holding midfielder, central defender or full back. And Dier's ball-winning ability, confidence on the ball and creativity have all drawn comparisons to former Spain international Alonso... from Bayern... not us. We, personally, are going to wait until Dier starts scoring from his own half before we make such a bold claim.