Why Christian Eriksen would be a statement signing for Manchester United
According to a report from The Metro, Manchester United are close to reaching an agreement with Tottenham midfielder Christian Eriksen.
The Denmark international, 27, is entering the final 12 months of his contract and Tottenham face losing him for nothing if he is not sold this summer.
The playmaker has made it clear he wants to join Real Madrid but he is not the Spanish club’s priority, as Zinedine Zidane wants to sign Paul Pogba (h/t Daily Star).
The report claims Tottenham value Christian Eriksen around £60million and Manchester United must go all out to sign the Dane to solve their midfield woes.
The Red Devils remain in the market for further reinforcements following the summer arrivals of Daniel James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and, most recently, Harry Maguire, who joined the club from Leicester City on Monday as the world’s most expensive defender.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is on the hunt for a new midfielder following Marouane Fellaini’s sale in January and Ander Herrera’s exit this summer.
In Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Scott McTominay, Andreas Pereira, Fred and Juan Mata, Solskjaer doesn’t have much quality in the midfield to compete with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City next term. But with just a few days remaining in the window, United must up their ante and bring in Eriksen.
Solskjaer wants to build a more fluid attack revolving around speed and movement, and while it is an exciting prospect, it will require United’s midfielders to be dynamic and supply with consistent service throughout the game.
Eriksen would simply be perfect for United, having consistently shone at Tottenham since joining from Ajax back in 2013. The Dane has been the beating heart of Pochettino’s system, helping Spurs qualify for the Champions League final last term.
Blessed with excellent technique, vision and ability to create things out of nothing, Eriksen loves to pick out pockets of spaces and controlling play. Not only is he creative and has the capability to pick the right pass in the final third, but also his work-rate is commendable.
The Denmark international doesn’t boast express speed, but he compensates with his intelligence, work-rate and ability to score goals from long-range.
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The 27-year-old will undoubtedly bolster United’s midfield options, whilst sharing the burden of assisting and scoring goals from Pogba’s shoulders. With McTominay growing in stature and handed a deeper role this season, the Eriksen-Pogba combination could prove devastating in the final third.
Furthermore, the Dane’s set-piece expertise will prove to be a massive bonus to Solskjaer’s side.
Verdict
With deadline day looming large, Solskjaer must sign an experienced midfielder that will take the Red Devils back to where they need to be – on top of the table. And a Premier League-proven player like Eriksen could turn out to be that man to help them get there.