Arsenal have been offered the chance to sign Christian Eriksen, with the Danish midfielder keen to leave Inter Milan, according to reports from ESPN.
Eriksen joined Inter in January 2020 from Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of £16.9m. Despite stating his desire to experience a new challenge (precisely the reason why he left Spurs), he has found it hard to settle in at his new club.
The 103-times capped Denmark international has managed only 11 Serie A appearances since joining Inter. He has fallen out of favour of manager Antonio Conte and looks like he has no intention of seeing out his four-and-a-half-year deal at Inter.
His relationship with the club looks beyond repair with the chief executive Giuseppe Marotta revealing they would not force him to stay when he has asked to leave.
Arsenal and other options
ESPN claim that Eriksen could be available in the market (possibly in January or next summer) and that several Premier League clubs have registered an interest in him.
Arsenal are keen to secure his signature, while the player himself is open to joining them despite spending seven years at their bitter rival club. Inter are ready to cut their losses and he could be available for just £12m – which is a bargain for a player of his calibre.
While it has not been disclosed which Premier League teams have shown interest in him (Manchester United have been mentioned but are an unlikely option), Eriksen’s desire to move to Arsenal doesn’t come as a surprise.
He has already distanced himself from Spurs fans with the manner of his departure. With his reputation as club’s cult-hero already tarnished, it hardly matters to him how Spurs fans will feel if he indeed makes the switch.
Secondly, having stayed in London before, he is naturally inclined to joining another major London club, and Arenal currently emerging out as the best option.
But most importantly, he wants his career back on track but what options does he have? ESPN claim that Spurs have privately ruled out of re-signing him. Manchester United do not need another creative attacking midfielder having signed Bruno Fernandes and Donny van de Beek in recent transfer windows.
Liverpool have a wealth of attacking midfielders at their disposal, and they are unlikely to chase him especially after the signings of Takumi Minamino and Diego Jota.
The same goes for Chelsea who spent big money this summer on buying players like Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner and Kai Havertz.
Likewise, Manchester City are choc-a-bloc with plenty of attacking midfielders, and after signing Ferran Torres, stockpiling on this area should be least of Pep Guardiola’s priorities.
Other potential title challengers like Leicester City, Wolves and Everton bolstered their attacking midfield options this summer, and that leaves Arsenal as the only major option where he can ply his trade. The feeling, however, is mutual. More than Eriksen needs Arsenal, it is the Gunners who need him the most.
The north London outfit have struggled for creativity this season, and Eriksen may seem an ideal signing for them. And yet, he is far from that. His languid style is markedly different from Mikel Arteta’s demand for high-intensity pressing. The Gunners boss wants disciplined positioning from his midfielders, and that is something hard to find in Eriksen who is best utilised when given the freedom to express. That is perhaps why there are conflicting reports out of Arsenal suggesting that the club will prioritise a defensive signing instead and look towards younger recruits for attacking positions.
Given his wealth of experience, quality, and price-tag, he would be a smart signing for Arsenal. At the same time, he could try himself in another league with French giants Paris Saint-Germain and German outfit Borussia Dortmund reportedly keen.
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