Why Manchester United should sign Christian Eriksen at all costs

According to The Sun, Manchester United are eying a move for Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Christian Eriksen.

As it stands, the Dane is free to sign a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club in January but Tottenham ideally wouldn’t want to lose such a valuable player for nothing. There are reports that Jose Mourinho could include midfielder Nemanja Matic in the deal.

Mourinho has worked with Matic before and signed the player while he was in charge of Chelsea and then again when he took over at United. The 31-year-old has fallen out of favour since the Portuguese boss left Old Trafford and has only made five appearances in all competitions under Ole Gunner Solskjaer this season.

As far as Eriksen is concerned, the attacking midfielder has struggled to nail a spot in Mourinho’s playing XI so far. Having joined in an £11.5m deal from Ajax in 2013, he has become one of the most important players for Tottenham. His passing range and eye for goal have made him one of the top attacking midfielders in the world.

His understanding with the likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Son Heung-min is fantastic to watch. But make no mistake, he’s the main man supplying these lads with the ammunition they need. Off the pitch, he is about as low-profile as modern footballers come. On it, however, Christian Eriksen is forcing the world to notice that he is one of the game’s best creators.

Matic is in the final year of his deal with the Red Devils but United do have the option to extend the player’s contract until 2021.

The Serbia enforcer was a big part of Mourinho’s United side but the 31-year-old has never been in favour under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He is currently struggling with an injury as well.

Verdict

Tottenham are in risk of losing Eriksen for nothing and hence, the time is right for United to sign him. Negotiations with Tottenham will not be easy, however, after Dimitar Berbatov’s controversial move to Old Trafford back in the summer of 2008 (h/t The Guardian).

If United manage to get hold of the attacking midfielder, it will make them a better side.