Tottenham accept Christian Eriksen is almost certain to be one of two superstars who will leave the club this summer, according to the Daily Mail.
The newspaper claim Spurs have almost given up hope of holding on to playmaker Eriksen and centre-back Toby Alderweireld, two of the best players and mainstays of the Mauricio Pochettino era.
The Mail report there is no resolution to the contract stalemate with Eriksen, who is out of contract next year, while the club are almost powerless to prevent Alderweireld from leaving due to a £26million release clause.
OPINION
Spurs fans have long accepted Alderweireld is likely to leave, and are grateful he stayed for this season after appearing nailed-on to transfer last summer, with Manchester United strongly linked to signing him. Losing Eriksen would be even more painful for Lilywhites. As Arsene Wenger explained recently when hailing him as Spurs’ “outstanding player”, the Great Dane is the man who makes Spurs tick. Aged 27, he is in his prime and will have his pick of the elite clubs this summer, when only 12 months will be left on his contract and he can be prised from White Hart Lane for a relatively bargain price of around £60million. The Tottenham board gambled by allowing Eriksen’s deal to enter its last two years, just as they did with Alderweireld previously, with their offers of new contracts failing to persuade the players to sign on the dotted line. They know they can earn more elsewhere, and also scratch their personal trophy itches at the same time.