The reason behind Christian Eriksen snubbing Tottenham in favor of Manchester United
Christian Eriksen was a player in demand as soon as his six-month spell with Brentford came to an end. Being a free agent, any top player is bound to be linked to top teams, and the Danish midfielder was no exception to this.
The former Tottenham Hotspur playmaker went through serious health issues during the Euro 2020. The 30-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest and it seemed for a moment that Eriksen’s career would come to a halt. However, the brave Dane put on every effort needed to get back to his best even after a defibrillator was inserted in his heart.
He trained with the then Ajax coach Erik ten Hag after his contract with Inter Milan was terminated. The Dane soon joined Brentford on a six-month deal this year. The midfield maestro brought life to a dull Brentford attack as he turned the Bees into a potent attacking unit.
Eriksen’s contract expired in June and it was claimed that he could join his former club Tottenham Hotspur. The Danish midfielder played for Tottenham between 2013-2020 in which he introduced himself to the world through his top-class performances.
During his prime years, Spurs reached the Champions League finals in the year 2019 for the first time in their history. It was known that Antonio Conte-led Tottenham were interested in bringing back their former player to help the manager in building a strong midfield core.
However, even after being linked with a move to the North London side, the Dane ultimately decided to stay put at Brentford as Tottenham cooled their interests in him. The Athletics’ David Ornstein (h/t the Express) revealed that Christian Eriksen’s wage demands and the length of his contract would not suit Spurs’ plans.
From thereon, the path was a bit clearer for the Red Devils to get their man, who played under Antonio Conte – the current Spurs manager – during his time at Inter Milan.
Erik ten Hag wanted to rebuild the squad and it would have been impossible without strengthening one of the most exploited positions of the team. Manchester United’s midfield needed serious additions and the Dutch manager would want to sign the right players for his new club.
The Red Devils were convinced by the idea of signing the free agent and with the race-looking quote open, the board attempted to make a final push. Brentford were keen to extend Eriksen’s stay but it would have been difficult for him to reject the chance to sign for a top Premier League club.
Eriksen soon signed a new three-year deal with Manchester United and it was enough to shut all the rumors once and for all.
The fans would be happy with the fact that the Red Devils signed a player who would have a bigger influence on the young players in the squad. It remains to be seen whether Christian Eriksen would be given the chance to play his first match against Aston Villa.
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But with the five-substitutes rule active from next season onwards, he can surely play a big role on Erik ten Hag’s pursuit of silverware in his first season at Old Trafford.