Tottenham surprised many by not signing new players this summer. At a time when some clubs recruited ten, eleven and even twelve players, the North London side was the only club in the Premier League not to bring in any new face for the new campaign.
The club’s new stadium project commitments and the fact that the club did not lose any of their key players may have contributed to this. Some of the club’s key players like Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Eric Lamela have recently committed their long-term future to the club. Others like Jan Vertonghen, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen are expected to extend theirs too.
But despite the closing of the transfer window in England, it is still open in some other leagues across Europe. Eriksen has been increasingly linked with a move to Real Madrid in recent weeks. The Spanish giants are said to be in search of a long-term replacement for Luka Modric. The Croatian midfield maestro is not getting any younger as he will clock 33 next month. Like his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, he may also be interested in a new challenge. And like his former teammate, Italy seems a likely destination with Inter Milan showing interest.
Rumours about Inter Milan’s interest in signing Modric have made the rounds for weeks. Even though Real have refused to sell the World Cup Golden Ball winner, leaving the Santiago Bernabéu seems to be just a matter of time. Eriksen fits the bill as the ideal candidate to replace the four-time Champions League winner.
The Denmark starman will be following in Modric’s footsteps as he also switched White Hart Lane for Madrid back in 2012. His six years in the Spanish capital have been hugely rewarding. He has won several trophies including one La Liga title and four UCL trophies.
Tottenham as a club has not been able to win even one trophy whether at home or abroad in that timeframe. With the Premier League getting even more competitive that is unlikely to change any time soon. In Europe, the club has an outside chance of lifting a trophy. Of course, they can still win one or two in the near future. But the chances are slim.
Under this scenario, any ambitious player will want to leave. So Tottenham will find it difficult holding on to the player once Real Madrid make a firm bid for him.
But what effect will his exit have on the North London side?
Mauricio Pochettino has been on a mission to return Tottenham to the top. Consecutive top-four finishes have cemented the club’s place as a top-six side in recent campaigns. Although there have been limited runs in the Champions League, there is genuine hope that the club will do better in the coming seasons.
Losing their playmaker could prove catastrophic. For one thing, Eriksen is a key member of the squad. He has been one of their best players in the last two seasons. Secondly, it may open the door to another exodus. The message Dane’s sale could send to other key players is that Tottenham is still very much a selling club.
And if Harry Kane and Dele Alli go on to leave as well, the club will be in real trouble. With other sides like Burnley and Everton pushing to break into the top six, Pochettino could find himself going back to where he started in order to rebuild the team.
