Christian Eriksen is set to join Manchester United after the 30-year-old has verbally agreed to a move in principle with the club, as per David Ornstein. Eriksen has a accepted a three-year deal which will keep him at the club til 2025. The Dane international was also linked with Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur this summer.
Erik Ten Hag’s influence in this deal is understood to be a key factor for Eriksen and the Dutchman made it clear to United he wantes the 30-year-old in his team for the upcoming season.
Signing Christian Eriksen is a shrewd bit of business from Manchester United
Given the fact Eriksen was a free agent and the signing will not affect United’s transfer budget this summer, which is said to be limited, this is a shrewd move from the club. They have added quality in an area of the pitch where they lack depth and options. After losing Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata this summer, it was imperative for the club to strengthen their midfield.
Eriksen will also provide competition to Bruno Fernandes as the Dane has proven to be a successful operator in the number 10 role. This is a positive sign as since Fernandes joined United, it can be argued he has not really had any competitor for his place in the side. The 30-year-old can also operate on the left side of a front three in a 4-3-3 formation.
Towards the end of last season, we saw better performances from United when Mata and Fernandes both started. This was due to the fact there were two genuine playmakers in the side. United played with a sense of control in midfield and created more chances for the other forwards. This was evident to see in the team’s final home game of the season, against Brentford.
Ten Hag and his players will fly out for pre-season later this week on July 8th. It is important for the club to get in as many of their targets in this week so the new signings participate in pre-season with the rest of their side. The club announced the signing of Tyrell Malacia earlier today and talks are ongoing with Barcelona for Frenkie de Jong.