Manchester United are cautiously optimistic about their chances of prising Eric Dier away from Tottenham Hotspur as they prepare a formal move for the £40 million rated England international.

Jose Mourinho has identified Dier as a leading summer transfer target and is willing to give the 23-year-old the midfield role he wants after being used predominantly as a central defender by Mauricio Pochettino at White Hart Lane this season.

Daniel Levy, the Tottenham chairman, is renowned as one of the game’s toughest negotiators and United’s attempts to sign Michael Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov from Spurs in the past turned out to be protracted affairs.

Pochettino has dismissed questions about United’s interest and expressed his faith in Dier but there is a feeling that Spurs could be persuaded to sell if they succeed in signing Dier’s England team-mate, Michael Keane, from Burnley.

Everton and Liverpool are also interested in Keane, who could cost around £30 million, but it is thought the former United centre-half would favour a move to Tottenham over those clubs if he does leave Turf Moor.