Christian Eriksen’s future at Tottenham has been the main topic of conversation for several months. His refusal to sign a new contract at the club, and ambition to seek another challenge elsewhere means that now, with six months left on his current deal, he is free to negotiate with other clubs, with a view to leaving for free in the summer.
With a whole host of top European clubs already vying for the Danish internationals signature including Inter Milan, which of them could Eriksen opt to join?
Inter Milan
According to Sky Sources, Inter Milan have already begun discussions with the representatives of Christian Eriksen with a view of possibly taking him on board this month. Also, there are widespread reports suggesting that the midfielder has already agreed a deal with the Serie A leaders.
Conte is in the market for at least 3 signings as they push for their first Italian triumph since Jose Mourinho’s stint in 2010.
It is believed that Conte would rather prioritise the signing of Arturo Vidal from Barcelona before moving onto other targets. What is intriguing about Conte’s squad is the amount of options he already holds in his midfield. Nicolo Barella, Stefano Sensi, Marcelo Brozovic, all of whom have become a mainstay in the Italian’s engine room have been victims of various injury problems as of late. They also have on their books Matias Vecino, Roberto Gagliardini and Borja Valero. It is difficult to see how Christian Eriksen fits in with Conte’s plans let alone Arturo Vidal, unless they free up space by selling a few of their stars.
It is unlikely that a talented player such as Eriksen will be happy warming the bench as he has done for much of this current campaign.
Manchester United
Manchester United are in desperate need of creativity and quality in the midfield, and a move for Christian Eriksen makes perfect sense. Injuries to Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba leaves Solskjaer in desperate need of reinforcements.
It is believed that Daniel Levy, Tottenham’s chairman, will have no problems negotiating the sale of Eriksen with rival clubs. Manchester United and Tottenham are both amongst a number of clubs battling it out for the Champions League places currently and Eriksen moving to Old Trafford could provide Solskjaer with the added tonic of winning the race at Tottenham’s expense.
Eriksen could seamlessly fill in the no.10 role behind Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford. Not only will United increase their creative output, but goals will no longer become hard to come by. Eriksen’s technical abilities in the final third are what United are crying out for.
In so many instances this season, Solskjaer’s players have found it difficult to breach low-block defences, but Eriksen holds all the technical qualities needed to enhance United’s thrust in the final third.
While it may be ideal for United to pursue Eriksen’s services, it is reported that Solskjaer has eyes set on other attacking midfield targets such as James Maddison, Jack Grealish and Bayer Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz according to The Athletic, three options which could become a mainstay in the squad for years to come while Eriksen will only be a short-term solution.
Real Madrid
It is no secret of Zinedine Zidane’s admiration for Christian Eriksen, but with the amount of quality Real Madrid possess in their attacking midfield department, do they really require his services?
Isco, Marco Asensio and James Rodriguez all hold the necessary quality to be permanent fixtures in Zidane’s squad. However, it has become clear during the French legend’s time at the Santiago Bernabeu that he does not have similar taste as much of the fans do.
There have been various rumours suggesting Real Madrid are willing to offload Isco and Rodriguez this summer, and with Luka Modric likely to depart too, that could free up space for someone like Christian Eriksen to fill the void. Zidane prefers Manchester United’s Paul Pogba however, and a big money move for him is well on the cards.
The Dane will be looking to become a regular fixture in the starting XI, it is unlikely that Real Madrid will provide him with that opportunity seeing as Zidane views Paul Pogba as his main priority.
Juventus
Juventus are the masters of the free transfer business and have made known there interest in the Danish playmaker but like Real Madrid and Inter Milan, they are pretty well stacked in the middle and don’t really require is services.
Paulo Dybala, Rodrigo Bentacur, Aaron Ramsey and Federico Bernardeschi have all filled in perfectly when needed so there is no reason why Maurizio Sarri should be in the market for another similar type of player whether now or in January. Even if Juventus were to acquire Eriksen’s services for free in the summer, even after they offload certain players, there is no guarantees that Sarri will find him a permanent place in the starting XI.
Christian Eriksen would be wise to hold off any advances from the Serie A champions.
Sign a New Contract at Tottenham
It seems as though the only plausible option for Christian Eriksen is to carry on his career at Tottenham Hotspur. While it may be tempting to join one of the top clubs around Europe, there are no guarantees that the Danish international will become a permanent fixture in any of their squads. So why not continue your development under one of the most decorated coaches in world football in Jose Mourinho?
There is no denying that the Portuguese coach has a lot of work to do to take the club to the next level, but keeping hold of his top stars and the spine of his team such as Eriksen and co could provide the perfect platform to build from.
Despite the number of possible quality replacements for Eriksen that are currently being scouted around Europe, it’ll still be pretty difficult to replace his intelligence and creative brilliance, two components that Spurs lack when Eriksen is not involved.
A new challenge may prove very tempting for Eriksen but his own development must be the priority, maybe signing a new contract – as Mourinho has strongly suggested to him – is the best option.
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