Despite not always being one of the first choice center backs during his time at Bayern Munich, Eric Dier became quite a fan favorite in Bavaria and there was a collective feeling of sadness when it was announced that he would be leaving the club this past summer for AS Monaco in Ligue 1. Ever since making his move to Bayern from Tottenham back in the winter of 2024, the former England international made a total of 48 appearances across all competitions, tallying 3 goals and an assist along the way.
He was also able to leave on a high note, being able to collect a Bundesliga winners medal along with former Tottenham and England teammate Harry Kane; the first piece of club silverware for both players.
Dier also had to adjust to playing under both Thomas Tuchel and Vincent Kompany before he ultimately wound up moving on to Monaco, but the center back had no problems adapting to slightly different systems and tactics. He had become heavily favored under Tuchel, but even if Bayern had been far better in that 2023/24 season, Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen still probably would’ve won the league by a substantial margin.
In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Dier reflected on when he found out he’d be leaving Bayern for Monaco over the summer. He moved before the FIFA Club World Cup took place and has already hit the ground running with the Ligue 1 outfit. “I had a fantastic relationship with them and with Kompany. He was the best manager that I worked under. We just couldn’t find an agreement that worked for everyone and it finished very amicably and respectfully,” Dier explained (via @iMiaSanMia).
Towards the end of the season heading into the summer transfer window, Dier had every intention of staying, but the club’s front office and supervisory board knew they were going to have to find ways to save money after the big extensions of Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies. Additionally, at the time they still felt they were going to sign Florian Wirtz from Leverkusen before he ultimately chose to join Liverpool instead. Bayern wanted to try to extend his loan for another season, but a package that was suitable to Dier’s liking was just not in the cards, unfortunately.
