Tottenham are actively evaluating potential replacements for Christian Eriksen

If Tottenham are forced to part company with Christian Eriksen this summer, look for Spurs to move swiftly to buy a high-priced replacement.

Christian Eriksen saved Tottenham a disastrous draw against Brighton this week, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to stay in North London forever. Spurs officials are already owning up to the possibility that the Danish maestro might be headed elsewhere when the summer transfer window opens.

To that end, Mauricio Pochettino and company are already doing their due diligence to evaluate the worth of potential replacements. Two primary options seem to have emerged. Aston Villa starlet Jack Grealish is a name that’s been on the club’s radar for well over a year. No one will be surprised to learn that Tottenham might return for him this summer.

The Daily Mail’s recent report that Pochettino is interested in prying Nicolo Zaniolo away from Roma is a new development though. Per that report, the 19-year-old attacker may be made available for as little as £35 million this summer. If Daniel Levy is quoted that price, he needs to jump at the chance to sign the Italian international.

Zaniolo isn’t a finished product, but Tottenham cannot afford to buy an established, world-class No. 10. Instead, Spurs will need to buy a young player who is capable of growing into that kind of role. It’s precisely what the club did with Eriksen when they brought him in from Ajax.

The Roma star isn’t nearly as accomplished in Serie A as Eriksen was in the Eredivisie, but he’s still played a lot of senior football for such a young player. Predictably, Zaniolo struggles to deal with physical play at times but he has undeniable skill with the ball at his feet. There are plenty of good reasons why he already has two senior caps to his name.

Tottenham’s interest in Grealish and Zaniolo shouldn’t be misconstrued as an admission that Eriksen is definitely leaving. There’s still ample time for he and the club to come to an agreement on a new deal. The clock is ticking, but it’s still well before midnight.

It’s even possible that Spurs would look to purchase one of those two youngsters to play alongside their Danish metronome. There’s a significant difference between trying to buy Eriksen’s replacement as opposed to his ultimate successor.

No matter what happens this summer, expect Spurs to spend a sizable amount of transfer cash on one attacking midfielder. Grealish might be the most likely purchase, but Zaniolo is the most intriguing.