The soon-to-be former Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel has given his verdict on what he has made of Eric Dier.
The Englishman made the move from Tottenham Hotspur to Munich in the January transfer window on an initial loan.
Eric Dierās loan was only until the end of the campaign, however, Bayern have already exercised the option in his deal to make his stay permanent.
But it has not been the season that the German giants would have hoped for having signed Harry Kane from Spurs in the summer for big money.
The England captain has done his part in front of goal, but Bayern have now handed their 11 consecutive run of Bundesliga titles over to Bayer Leverkusen.
Dierās side have, however, got one last shot at lifting silverware this season after progressing past Arsenal in the Champions League to make the semi finals.
And with almost half a season under his belt, Tuchel has now shared his honest opinion on what he has made of Dierās transition to German football.
Despite being a season to forget for Bayern domestically, it could still turn out to be a sensational term if they manage to get their hands on the Champions League.
However, the issue lies in their inconsistency. Against Arsenal, they looked like the Bayern of old as they proved the better side against a strong Premier League outfit.
However, in the Bundesliga, Bayern have recently lost to the likes of Bochum and Heidenheim as Leverkusen secured the crown.
But Dier has remained a big part of the starting XI since arriving and has even uprooted South Korean international Kim Min-jae to the bench.
Although Ange Postecoglou did not use Dier much during his time in north London, the 30-year-old was a solid servant for the club over the years.
And now it seems he is already making a positive impression on those in Munich with Tuchel sharing his thoughts on the defenderās transition.
āEric Dier has been an excellent signing. Iām extremely pleased with him,ā Tuchel told the media.
āHeās absolutely exceeded expectations. Heās an extremely important piece of the jigsaw. Heās organised, vocal, which weāve not had as much. Iām very happyā.
Should Tottenham have kept Eric Dier as their fourth choice centre-back?
It became pretty apparent Postecoglou was not going to use Dier this season with the 30-year-old only racking up 198 minutes of football for Spurs.
However, he has settled in well at Bayern and become a regular in the starting XI. Here is a roundup of his time in Germany.
23/24 | Bundesliga | Champions League |
Appearances | 12 | 3 |
Starts | 10 | 3 |
Minutes | 933 | 270 |
Statistics via Transfermarkt.
Although Bayern are not quite operating at their usual level, it is apparent that Dier must be impressing for them to have stuck with him so consistently since he arrived.
The Spurs News have been told that Tottenham are looking to sign another centre-back this summer and it does beg the question whether Dier could have been used for the fourth choice role.