What should Tottenham do with Christian Eriksen?

Christian Eriksen‘s future is very much up in the air at Tottenham. What should Mauricio Pochettino and company do with their Danish maestro?

Tottenham have until Thursday to purchase a potential replacement for Christian Eriksen in the heart of their midfield. Curiously, Eriksen still resides in North London. The question Spurs must ask themselves is what they should do with their Danish attacker.

Per The Daily Telegraph, multiple European powers are keeping their eye on his status at Tottenham. Real Madrid, Juventus and Atletico Madrid all have been linked strongly with Eriksen at various points of the summer. As a reminder, their ability to purchase the Premier League star will extend several weeks after Spurs’ deadline to bring in a suitable replacement.

At the moment, Tottenham have not declared a clear intention to part ways with Eriksen. The club have offered him a bumper new contract that would more than double his current salary. It seems clear that Mauricio Pochettino’s preference is to keep the 27-year-old star in the middle of his attack. Eriksen’s unwillingness to sign a new deal stems from his desire to insert a release clause in the deal which would allow him to depart for certain clubs at a set price.

It’s also worth noting that Eriksen’s status with the club seems inextricably linked to the possibility of Giovani Lo Celso and/or Bruno Fernandes taking their talents to North London. From the outside it appears that Tottenham want two of those three midfielders to be in the squad as they attempt to make a legitimate challenge for a Premier League title this season.

Now that the groundwork is all set, it’s time to point out what Tottenham should do. The immediate step Spurs need to undertake is to give Eriksen a very strict deadline as to when he will or will not commit his future to the club. Tottenham officials have already decided what they’re comfortable with in terms a release clause. It’s time to articulate that clearly to Eriksen and his representatives. At this point in the transfer window, he needs to either sign the deal or prepare to be placed in the shop window.

If he signs the contract, then the club can move on with their attempt to sign Fernandes or Lo Celso. That would likely come down to which player can be purchased at the best price. That fact might rankle some Spurs supporters, but the difference in quality between the two players is negligible.

If, on the other hand, Eriksen does declare that he’s unwilling to sign a new deal, it’s time for Spurs to get on with the notion of selling him. Every day he stays at the club drives down Tottenham’s ability to sell him for a hefty transfer fee. In a perfect world, Daniel Levy and his cronies could stir up a veritable bidding war for his services. Any proceeds from the Eriksen sale should go directly into the money devoted to replacing him in the transfer market.

The ultimate point here is that Tottenham need to move this process along. The club have allowed Eriksen to hold them hostage for the better part of the summer. It’s time for Spurs to re-take control of their own fate.