Eriksen Inter bound?
Christian Eriksen has been plying his trade with Tottenham since the summer of 2013.
The Danish international joined Spurs from Dutch champions Ajax for a fee believed to be around £12m.
In hindsight, that £12m fee looks to have been a serious bargain for Tottenham.
Since making the switch to England, Eriksen has notched up 305 appearances across all competitions for the Lilywhites, in which he has scored 69 and assisted 89.
The midfield maestro has been a pivotal member of Spurs’ squad since his move and was integral to Tottenham’s rise under Mauricio Pochettino, which saw the club consistently qualify for the Champions League and even reach the final last year.
However, Eriksen’s days in north London look extremely numbered.
The 27-year-old is out of contract in the summer and now looks to be on the verge of a move in the winter window.
The former Ajax standout was left out of Spurs’ squad to face Southampton on Saturday with Sky Sports News reporting Eriksen is close to sealing a £16.8m move to high-flying Serie A outfit, Inter Milan.
Lloris (C), Aurier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Tanganga, Winks, Gedson, Lo Celso, Dele, Son, Lucas
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— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 25, 2020
Tottenham need to replace Eriksen
So, with Eriksen’s departure seemingly imminent, Spurs will have a rather big hole in their squad.
Granted, the midfielder has by no means been at his best this term and you could argue that was because of the speculation surrounding his future.
But on his day, Eriksen is probably the most creative player Tottenham have at their disposal and losing him will likely be a big blow.
And with Tottenham already missing Moussa Sissoko and Harry Kane until around April, Jose Mourinho’s squad is looking increasingly thin.
Yes, Spurs have recently added Gedson Fernandes to their ranks.
But if Eriksen does leave, Tottenham need to sign a midfielder that is capable of playing further forward and can create chances out of nothing, much like Eriksen when he was on form.
With this in mind, here are three players Spurs could target this month to replace Eriksen.
Christian Eriksen of Tottenham during the UEFA Champions League Final between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at Estadio Wanda Metropolitano on June 1, 2019 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Jose Breton/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Bruno Fernandes
The first player Mourinho and co could look to target in the remaining days of the January transfer window is Sporting’s, Bruno Fernandes.
Fernandes has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United this month with it even being reported the Portuguese international could be present at United’s game vs Liverpool earlier this month.
That, of course, didn’t happen and it was then reported that the Red Devils had ‘baulked’ at Sporting’s £68m valuation of Fernandes.
So, with United seemingly, at the moment at least, not willing to meet Sporting’s demands, Spurs could swoop in and sign the free-scoring midfielder.
Granted, Daniel Levy isn’t exactly known for splashing the cash, but Fernandes looks the ideal replacement for Eriksen.
The 25-year-old’s goal contribution record is simply phenomenal with Fernandes scoring 15 and providing 14 assists in 27 games across all competitions this term.
SETUBAL, PORTUGAL – JANUARY 11: Bruno Fernandes of Sporting CP celebrates after scoring a goal during the Liga NOS match between Vitoria FC and Sporting CP at Estadio do Bonfim on January 11, 2020 in Setubal, Portugal. (Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)
Lorenzo Pellegrini
The next player Tottenham could look to sign this month is Lorenzo Pellegrini.
Granted, the 23-year-old has spent much of his career playing in the central midfield role.
But this season has saw the Italian move into a more advanced role for AS Roma.
And in 14 Serie A outings this term, from an attacking midfield role, Pellegrini has scored one and provided eight assists.
Yes, he could perhaps do with adding some more goals to his game but Pellegrini has more than demonstrated his creativity so far this season.
Julian Draxler
The final player Spurs could target is PSG’s, Julian Draxler.
The German is probably the least desirable option out of the three but he would also probably be the cheapest.
Draxler has had somewhat of a bit-part role for the Ligue 1 champions this term, in part due to injuries.
But the 26-year-old has proven throughout his career that when he is on form, he is more than capable of scoring and creating goals.
Draxler is also quite versatile as he can play as a left-winger, right-winger and through the middle. A trait Spurs would likely find pretty useful with Harry Kane out of action as it would provide cover for the likes of Lucas Moura and Heung-Min Son whilst they are playing up top in the absence of Kane.
See also: Arsenal closing in on signing of Flamengo’s Pablo Mari – Standard
Frank Lampard shuts down talk of Chelsea move for Moussa Dembele
