Tottenham Hotspur are in talks to sign their former attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen from Inter Milan.
The director of football for Inter Milan Giuseppe Marotta has already confirmed that Eriksen’s agent is “currently working on a deal” for his player which could potentially bring him back to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Whether the Dane comes back on a short loan or on a permanent deal is unclear at this point.
But will Eriksen return help them or hurt them?
From a fan’s perspective, a six-month loan deal seems to be the best deal for all parties. Inter do not have to carry the burden of his huge wages, Tottenham can add some much needed creative flair in the final third and Eriksen will get some valuable game time in the preparations for EUROS 2021.
If all goes according to plan and Spurs do not wish to sign the Danish International permanently then they can go out and bring in their first choice target Marcel Sabitzer and not hurt their financial records at all. Currently, as the season progresses it is possible to say that Tottenham will play in UEFA Champions League next season, and signing Sabitzer becomes a much easier job.
The Dane can fill in the Dele Alli hole on a temporary basis. Due to Alli’s banishment from the Premier League, the goal-scoring and creating burden has shifted to Son and Kane completely and the 28-year-old can ease off that burden.
Ultimately the decision will come down to Levy and if they can get a good deal from a financial point of view the chairman will definitely consider it.
If I’m being entirely honest here I’m a little sceptical as to whether bringing back Eriksen is in either best interests of the player or THFC itself. As much as I admire and like Christian as a player I say this because of the manner in which his long wrangled departure occurred as well as the form and apparent lack of motivation that led up to that point. Eriksen left on a low note in reality and it seemed evident he no longer considered himself committed to a club where he had once flourished. So unless he honestly believes he made a genuine mistake and has a serious desire to make amends at Tottenham believing them to be the club where he truly actually belongs – which I doubt – then I see the possibility of his return creating further issues. I would add to this there is no direct comparison between Eriksen to Alli as players as such, their style and positional playing roles are literally poles apart under close scrutiny, so I honestly don’t see how one is a direct replacement per se for the other. I would also say I think Mourinho has completely mis-managed a tremendous talent in Dele, and in the manner that Mourinho only really seems to. It is little wonder that Dele now feels he must move on in order to re-establish himself, as he is simply not being given any shred of opportunity to showcase his capabilities. I fear we are losing a player who was not only committed to the club itself, but are losing a game changer who has been alienated to go and that does not sit well with me as a Spurs fan. Sadly I think the damage has been permanently done and Dele now looks to reunite with a former manager who knows his worth and will probably bring back the best in him.
I agree with you Pez on being skeptical whether to bring Eriksen back to Tottenham or not. That is why a simple short loan term loan for six months seems the best for all parties. After end 20/21 season, Spurs can assess how to move forward i.e whether to bring the at least 45m man Sabitzer from Leipzig or to sign the Dane on a permanent transfer.