Christian Eriksen’s future at Tottenham Hotspur remains firmly in doubt, despite his brilliant display on opening day.
Christian Eriksen’s display for Tottenham Hotspur proved what a problem Mauricio Pochettino’s side face if he does leave this summer.
Eriksen came on for Tottenham on the opening day when they were badly struggling against Aston Villa.
Spurs had failed to break down Villa for over an hour when Eriksen entered the fray on opening day, but his arrival on the pitch immediately sparked a change in the game.
Eriksen started to demand possession and his creative range of passing stretched the Villa defence.
Tottenham went on to win the game 3-1, thanks to three late goals, and Eriksen reminded everyone at Spurs just how vital he remains.
There had been some criticism around White Hart Lane of Eriksen’s pre-season performances, as it seemed his head had been turned after suggesting he was open to a move away from White Hart Lane.
However, Eriksen’s performance on the first day of the new season has genuinely caused Pochettino a real problem now.
Tottenham face a massive dilemma, as the transfer window is still open across Europe.
Eriksen’s dramatic impact off the bench is sure to alert top European sides to his potential availability, but Spurs seriously need to consider the consequence of losing their most creative influence.
Of course, the ideal scenario for Tottenham now is to get Eriksen to pen a new contract and integrate him back into their starting line-up.
In reality though, things are not that simple. Eriksen has had a £200,000-a-week contract on the table for him for some time, but he has opted not to sign it (Daily Mail).
It seems as if Eriksen has his eyes on a new challenge and if that is the case, then from a business sense, it is difficult to retain him.
Spurs could still receive a sizeable cash sum if they choose to sell Eriksen now, with the Telegraph suggesting that he could command a fee of greater than £40 million.
Daniel Levy will surely be unable to hold off from accepting those offers, if Eriksen does intend to walk away on a free next summer.
But the consequence of selling Eriksen could be dramatic for Tottenham, as they really struggled without his attacking output on Saturday.
Spurs have brought in Giovani Lo Celso, but there are no guarantees that he will immediately adjust to the Premier League and prove as effective as Eriksen in the first few months.
And with Tottenham seemingly having a real chance to challenge Liverpool and potentially Manchester City this term, losing Eriksen would be a hammer blow, as the former Ajax man has now proven once and for all how vital he remains for Spurs.
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