Former England international Danny Mills believes that Tottenham midfielder Christian Eriksen will have a plan in place to leave the club this summer.
Eriksen, who is entering the final year of his current £75,000-a-week deal [Spotrac.com] at Tottenham revealed that he is wanting a new challenge next season and suggested he is open to a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid, according to Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet.
Sky Sports pundit Mills has suggested that the Denmark international could already have agreed personal terms with Real Madrid, as the midfielder looks to secure a move that would end his six-year stay in North London.
“Eriksen has been very clever. He’s gone public in a way that means if it doesn’t come off, he can stay at Tottenham. Players are not daft. Has he already agreed personal terms with Real Madrid? Of course. It’s the way football works and, if you think otherwise, you’re living on a different planet,” Mills told the Football Insider.
“Real Madrid are not going to make a bid for Eriksen for him to then turn around and say, I don’t want to come. Everybody would then look stupid.
“If Real Madrid want to buy him, they speak to him through an intermediary, which is usually his agent. That’s what will have happened and there will have been a contract offer for Eriksen, a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, and eventually some sort of agreement.”
OPINION
Mills’ comments are probably accurate in that Eriksen has more than likely already had discussions in some form with Real Madrid over a potential move this summer. However, it will not be something which will be pleasing for Tottenham supporters to discover, with the club’s fans obviously wanting players of the caliber of the midfielder to be fully committed to the cause. However, as Mills rightly suggests when a player is heading into their final year of their contracts their agents will be busy looking into any potential deals for their clients elsewhere. Eriksen would be a huge loss to Mauricio Pochettino’s side, but if the Denmark international does desire to leave the club, then the Argentine should not stand in his way. Daniel Levy will also be cautious over the prospect of losing Eriksen for free next summer, which is likely to mean he will be willing to sell the midfielder for the right fee during the transfer window.