5 players Tottenham may sell to fund Mauricio Pochettino’s ‘painful’ rebuild

1. Christian Eriksen

This is the name on the list that will divide opinion among Tottenham’s passionate fan base. There’s no question that Eriksen is a world-class attacker when he’s at his best, but many Spurs fans do wonder whether or not that level of player shows up often enough.

For the record, it’s obvious that Pochettino would like to keep hold of his Danish maestro. He makes no secret of his appreciation for Eriksen’s talents and his desire to see him sign a new contract. Unfortunately, Eriksen and his representatives continue to stonewall the club’s efforts to engage in meaningful negotiations. Given the fact that he only has a little over one year left on his current deal and it’s easy to see why Tottenham may be forced to sell.

The upside here is that Spurs can still charge a massive fee for Eriksen. Expect Levy to start by asking for well over £100 million, but it’s more likely the final fee will end up somewhere around €80 million. Eriksen’s sale should do a lot to bolster Pochettino’s ability to strengthen the rest of the squad.

The key for Spurs is to determine how best to fill Eriksen’s void on the pitch. One line of thinking says Pochettino can simply plug Dele Alli in as the team’s No. 10. Otherwise, Pochettino will need to spend big on a replacement.

Expect the Eriksen saga to dominate Tottenham’s transfer dealings early in the summer. It’s a familiar, if unpleasant position for Spurs fans.