If the rumours linking Tottenham Hotspur with a move for Christian Eriksen come true, a few key things could change for the north London club.
In recent times, media talk mooting a possible reunion between club and player seems to have been gathering momentum. No doubt, with Spurs set to take on Brentford this weekend, even more eyes will be on the Dane as he faces his old side.
With that in mind, TIF has decided to investigate how things could play out if a deal did get across this line.
Conte to unleash formation change
It is well known that Antonio Conte likes to play with wing-backs, and this has been what he has preferred to do in recent times. However, with Emerson Royal struggling for form in that role, the Italian may want to make a change next season.
While the current squad lacks a more natural attacking midfielder to accommodate a formation change, Eriksen could fit that position perfectly – as he can play as a more creative central player, just as he does now for Brentford.
Indeed, when he was at Spurs, he often played in a 4-3-2-1 setup – that was even how the side lined up when they took on Liverpool in the 2019 Champions League final.
It remains to be seen as to how well Matt Doherty can return from injury. But if the wing-back struggles and Emerson can’t fix his form, Conte may opt to ditch the wing-backs, even if just for the short term.
If he had Eriksen at his disposal, that temptation might grow even stronger.
Bergwijn trouble
Regardless of where exactly he is played, if Eriksen was to sign for the team, he would take away the need for so many attacking options. The club already have Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, Lucas Moura, Dejan Kulusevski and Steven Bergwijn as senior attackers – not to mention Bryan Gil, Giovani Lo Celso and Jack Clarke, who are all out on loan.
If Eriksen came in, someone would likely have to leave. This could spell trouble for Bergwijn, who is already struggling to get into the first team. The Dutchman has started just four times in the league all season, contributing three goals and just one assist.
Should Spurs sell Steven Bergwijn this summer?
Yes
No
To make things worse, he has already been linked with an exit. Indeed, it looked as though he could have been off to Ajax in January. That move never came to pass, but with Erik ten Hag now likely to end up at Manchester United, that link has reappeared in recent times, and it seems as though a move could still happen.
Bergwijn’s hopes of truly proving his quality at Spurs may well come to a swift end this summer if the Dane does end up back in north London.
In other news: Rob Guest now hints Conte could unleash ‘wildcard’ option at right-back for Spurs