Manchester United have joined the race to sign Christian Eriksen following his spectacular return to the Premier League.
New United boss Erik ten Hag is looking for midfield reinforcements - and is looking to make his budget stretch as far as possible as he plots to bring in six new signings this summer. Eriksen has now emerged as an option for the Reds after his brilliant cameo with Brentford since January.
The 30-year-old Dane is back to his best after being released by Inter Milan when he had to be fitted with an implantable cardiovascular defibrillator when he suffered a cardiac arrest playing for Denmark at the Euros almost a year ago. Ten Hag got a close-up view of Eriksen’s bid to rescue his career when he allowed the 30-year-old to train with his Ajax squad to build-up his fitness before joining Brentford.
Ten Hag was hugely impressed by the Dane’s desire - and his performances under Thomas Frank have strengthened his belief that Eriksen can help him rebuild at Old Trafford. Brentford won seven of the 10 Premier League games he started.
The Bees have offered to make him the club’s highest-paid player to stay. But now United have joined Eriksen’s former club Tottenham and Everton in the fight to sign him.
Spurs’ offer of Champions League football will be tempting as Eriksen eyes a place in Denmark’s World Cup squad next winter. But it remains to be seen whether he would want to go back to White Hart Lane when he can be part of Ten Hag’s future in Manchester.
Eriksen spent seven years with Tottenham after joining the London club from Ajax for £11million in 2013. He moved on to Inter for a bargain £17million after informing Spurs that he wouldn’t be signing a new contract.
Ten Hag has already launched a bid for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie De Jong after Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Nemanja Vidic and Jesse Lingard left Old Trafford. But while the cash-strapped Catalan club have indicated they would be willing to sell for around £70million, the Dutchman is yet to be convinced about making the switch.
De Jong’s Holland teammate Jurrien Timber is also having doubts over leaving Ajax to join United in a £35million deal with the World Cup approaching.
Timber, 20, has seen Dutch boss Louis van Gaal axe Gini Wijnaldum from his squad after the former Liverpool midfielder struggled for game-time at Paris St Germain. And Timber is worried about moving to a new club as the countdown to Qatar begins, even though it would allow him to link-up again with Ten Hag.
