Manchester United are reportedly preparing a £42 million bid to prise Tottenham contract rebel away in the January transfer window.
Spanish publication El Desmarque claim that Manchester United are poised to make a move for Christian Eriksen in the January transfer window. The Danish playmaker has been in the midst of a contract standoff with Tottenham so far, with the player refusing to commit his future to the North Londoners.
Christian Eriksen has less than a year remaining on his Tottenham deal and will be able to get into pre-contract agreements with foreign clubs once he enters the last six months of his deal. Ideally, Tottenham would have loved to retain a player of Eriksen’s calibre. But, they might opt to cash in on the Dane lest run the risk of losing him for free.
Manchester United are in dire need of a creative attacking midfielder; a number 10 that knows how to create chances for himself and others while also aligning well with the philosophy of pressing from the front that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has employed so far at the club.
The current options do not resemble ‘a complete number 10’. Jesse Lingard and Andreas Pereira can press well, but are not creatively equipped to fuel the forwards or break down defences. Juan Mata can do that with ease, but cannot press with as much gumption.
Tottenham, though, could be the main beneficiaries of the move, if it indeed happens in January. Eriksen hasn’t looked good enough this season and bringing in £42 million would aid their endeavours in the transfer market. Mauricio Pochettino already has Giovani Lo Celso to fill in and the manager could reprise a move for Jack Grealish, who was a target in the summer transfer window.
For Manchester United, £42 million is more than a bargain if it solves the creativity issues they are having this season so far. The logistics part of the move makes sense for United. Eriksen is Premier League proven, has experience at the top level and will add experience to what is a youthful attack at the club under Solskjaer.
Eriksen’s addition could also solve the set-piece issue, with corners becoming a chore of late for Manchester United players on the field. A move makes sense for all parties involved and this move seems like it has a lot of chance of happening in January, provided other clubs like Real Madrid and PSG, who were earlier interested in Eriksen, do not enter the race.
