Date published: Monday 15th July 2019 8:56
Mauricio Pochettino has admitted there is “plenty of interest” in Christian Eriksen and fears the player will leave Tottenham this summer.
There has been no shortage of speculation that Eriksen is set to quit Tottenham this summer in search of a move to a more ‘elite’ club – and with just a year on his contract, Spurs know keeping him on is looking difficult.
Real Madrid, PSG and Manchester United have all been strongly linked with Eriksen, while a report earlier in the summer claimed that the Denmark international was so desperate to leave north London that he ‘packed up his north London house’ even before a disappointing performance in the Champions League final.
Pochettino, however, while happy to ignore all the speculation, has admitted he strongly fears his star man could depart this summer.
“I hope he will [stay],” Pochettino told reporters. “I think he is a great player, Christian. One of the biggest talents in football. After five years working with him, I am sure in the way that he plays, and I hope so yes.
“But you know, there is a lot of interest. I hope yes, but I don’t know what is going to happen with that.”
Despite him having only one year left on his contract, Spurs apparently want a minimum £75million to sell the 27-year-old, while one of the club’s greats, Ossie Ardiles, reckons it may be in their best interests to allow the player to leave.
The iconic midfielder told talkSPORT: “It looks to me like he has put his mind on a move – that he wants to go somewhere else.
“And if that is the case it’s futile for the club to try and keep a player when he wants to leave.
“I won’t say he’s not happy with us, because he is, but his mind is trying to play somewhere else, and the best thing is to part company.”
For their part, Spurs are believed to have already looked at alternative options, with Real Betis star Giovano Lo Celso top of their list of targets.
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