January is naturally a month that the transfer rumour mill goes into overdrive, especially regarding players who aren’t featuring for their respective clubs.
The case of Christian Eriksen is a curious one. The Danish midfielder was a key figure for Tottenham in their rise to the Champions League places under Mauricio Pochettino, but he had found himself sidelined this term – not aided by plenty of different rumours about extra-marital affairs and the like in the tabloids.
Jose Mourinho has since replaced the Argentine in charge and reintroduced Eriksen back into the first team fray, and the 27-year-old rewarded his new manager with a trademark free kick goal against Norwich over the festive period.
But it seems as though Eriksen’s love of life in London has all but dissipated, and his situation has not been aided by a controversial interview in the summer when he claimed he wanted to ‘try something new’ and leave Tottenham when his contract runs out in the summer of 2020.
And now Sky Sports are reporting that both Inter Milan and Juventus are set to step up their interest in the playmaker now that he is free to discuss a move given the rule regarding contract negotiations with overseas clubs.
Cashing In
Do you let a talismanic figure leave for free at the end of the season, or cash in to take advantage of his value in January?
That’s a quandary that many football clubs have found themselves in since the reworking of transfer rules, and now Spurs find themselves in a equally unenviable position with Eriksen.
They must somehow convince the Dane to sign a deal, but it seems as though his mind is already made up given the content of that explosive pre-season interview.
So, their only option might be to pursue a quick sale this month.
It is believed that Juventus are keen on his signature, but having splashed out the best part of £40m on Dejan Kulusevski – if reports are to be believed – they might not have the cash to complete the deal.
Inter Milan have also been mentioned by a number of sources, with Antonio Conte putting together an exciting young side who look capable of tackling Juve’s dominance in Serie A.
Arturo Vidal has also been linked with a move to the San Siro, but Eriksen is reportedly a the top of Conte’s wish list and he plans to convince the club’s owners to open up their chequebook to secure him prior to the end of the season.
It’s great news for punters, who can still avail themselves of odds of 4/1 on Eriksen making the move to Inter Milan prior to February 3 with a number of bookmakers.
Another bit of transfer business that could yield a nice return for punters is that of Paul Pogba, who now looks a dead cert to leave Manchester United in the summer….if not before.
The Frenchman has reportedly been told by his team of advisors to have ankle surgery – freeing him up to take part in Euro 2020 while ensuring any big money move away from Old Trafford is not scuppered.
Real Madrid is a possible destination at odds of 5/4, although a return to former club Juventus cannot be ruled out at a lofty 4/1.