This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…
It was only as recently as 18 months ago when Christian Eriksen almost single-handedly inspired Tottenham to a fine 2-0 win over Manchester United in the Premier League.
The Denmark international struck the fourth-fastest goal in Premier League history when he netted after just 10.54 seconds, and then proceeded to completely dominate the game with his passing and vision.
Indeed, such was his level of performance, that the normally reserved Mauricio Pochettino heaped praise on the 27-year-old. He said: “I think it was a great performance from Christian. Christian is such an important player for us not because today he was great and he scored.
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“But he’s a player that links everyone and of course when he’s not in the team we always miss him. He’s a player that you miss on the pitch.”
According to a recent report from The Daily Mail, United have asked to be kept informed over Eriksen’s future, and could very well be lining up a move for the man who tormented them back in January 2018.
And looking at the numbers from last season, it is easy to see why the Red Devils are so keen to bring in the Premier League-proven Dane.
The 27-year-old – valued at £90m by Transfermarkt – has been the picture of consistency in his time in English football, and enjoyed another impressive campaign with Spurs last season. The playmaker netted eight goals and provided a further 12 assists as Pochettino’s side finished in the top-four once more.
United on the other hand, endured a campaign to forget. Finishing in sixth, the Red Devils scored just 65 goals – a total that put them above only Chelsea amongst the proverbial ‘big six’. For all their defensive frailties, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side desperately need some added spark and creativity.
Eriksen’s potential arrival would certainly address that. His 2.4 shots and 2.1 key passes per game are evidence of someone who is willing to take charge of situations going forward for his side, and is equally proficient at taking opportunities on himself or laying it off.
Just as much as his offensive credentials, Eriksen’s work off-the-ball saw him register an impressive 1.2 tackles per game; a stat that would endear him to Solskjaer, who is intent on getting his side to press from the front and win the ball back as quickly as possible.
So whilst the talk so far may be around a possible move for Sporting CP’s Bruno Fernandes, Eriksen appears to be a ready-made star capable of taking United to the next step with immediate effect.
