Danny Mills believes that the potential contract extension being offered to Eric Dier is a carrot to other players at the club, per Football Insider.
What’s the word?
The Daily Telegraph has reported that Dier is set to be offered a contract extension by manager Jose Mourinho.
He has made a total of 14 appearances this season and has played six times for the Portuguese in the Premier League.
And Mills believes that the potential reward being offered to Dier shows other players that they can find their way into Mourinho’s good books.
He said: “If you can win and play amazing, great. But first and foremost it’s just about winning.
“And if you’ve got a player who is doing a specific job for the team and is doing it well, then you reward him.
“So of course it’s a massive boost to him but it’s also a sign to everyone that if you do your job and do what is asked of you, you will also be rewarded.
“And if that’s your motivation, then it’s a little bit of a carrot and incentive for everyone else to go out and achieve those types of things.”
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Wrong player
Dier hasn’t really been doing all that well for Spurs.
He’s averaged a rating of just 6.7 in the Premier League, per WhoScored, and has not won a single tackle in his last three outings, despite primarily playing in a defensive midfield role.
He’s conceded three fouls in that time as well as making just three interceptions, with all of them coming in the same game, against Brighton & Hove Albion. That means he’s had two games without an interception, too.
Mills, of course, is far from wrong; in fact, he’s spot on, in the sense that Dier is playing continuously and remains a key member of the squad. One can subsequently understand Mourinho’s motivations.
But giving him a new deal feels like investing in the wrong player.
Meanwhile, Spurs fans have urged the club to buy a Premier League defender.
