Christian Eriksen to Man Utd is the transfer football romantics should fear

James Shearman

15 Jun 2022 12:13 BST
3 min read

Christian Eriksen, Denmark, 2021-22 — © ProShots

Manchester United are looking to beat rivals to the signing of Christian Eriksen and have reportedly offered a contract to the Danish playmaker.

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New boss Erik ten Hag is keen on signing the former Ajax midfielder, however Tottenham are also interested in a move to bring Eriksen back to North London.

The 30-year-old is a free agent after his short-term contract at Brentford expired, though the Bees are desperate to keep hold of him.

Thomas Frank's side were headed for relegation but won seven out of the 11 games Eriksen played in the second half of the season.

United have often chosen marketability and reputation over chemistry and suitability with their transfer targets, with these signings typically turning out to be costly flops who made little footballing sense.

The club spent a world-record £89 million on Paul Pogba after appointing Jose Mourinho in 2016 and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first summer as manager saw the arrival of Harry Maguire for £80m and Aaron Wan-Bissaka for £50m.

However, the approach for Eriksen could end up being a smart move for the club, bringing in an experienced, Premier League-proven international for free.

Why Christian Eriksen should reject Man Utd offer

While the move would undoubtedly be an intelligent one for Manchester United, the same cannot be said for Eriksen himself.

Ten Hag's plans to clear out the deadwood means there are going to have to be incomings this summer to bolster the squad.

And, Eriksen would do just that, backing up Bruno Fernandes in the playmaker role of the Dutchman's team.

For United, they would struggle to find a better rotation option than a man with 63 Premier League assists to his name.

Frenkie de Jong, Bruno Fernandes, Ban de Beek, Eriksen, Fred, Garner!

Is that a good enough midfield for Man United to start the season with? #mufc
— Terry Flewers (@terryflewers) June 15, 2022

But for Eriksen, those numbers suggest he should be starting week-in week-out for a team in European competition.

Whether that be in England, or abroad, the Denmark international has far too much quality to be on the substitutes' bench.

Especially after what happened at the European Championship last summer, Eriksen will want to enjoy the remaining years of his career to the maximum. Old Trafford should not be his new home.