Tottenham transfer news: Spurs superstar eyeing a move to Real Madrid
What's the story?
According to Spanish outlet AS, Tottenham Hotspur's star playmaker, Christian Eriksen is unlikely to agree on a new deal with the EPL giants, and a source close to the player has told the publication that, "for him, it would be a great honor to play" for Real Madrid.
According to the report, the Danish midfielder is far from agreeing on a new deal with Spurs, with his current contract set to expire in June 2020.
In case you didn't know...
Christian Eriksen joined Spurs from Ajax for a fee of €13.5 million in 2013. Since then, the playmaker has been an integral organ of Mauricio Pochettino's side.
The 26-year-old is unarguably one of the best midfielders of this generation. Eriksen has been involved in 140 goals in the 253 appearances he has made for the English giants, so far. Apart from that, he has been a key factor in Spurs' impressive performances in recent years.
The Danish playmaker is a complete midfield package any European elite club requires. He scores, passes, creates spaces, and most of all, enhances the performances of the players surrounding him. Harry Kane, Delle Ali, and Son Heung-min share a better part of their staggering numbers with Eriksen.
The heart of the matter
Real Madrid have been lusting over the Tottenham star from quite a while now, as they seem to have identified him as a long-term replacement for Luka Modric, who is into the latter stages of his career.
Los Blancos have already asked Spurs the price for the playmaker, to which the Lilywhites are said to have responded by demanding €250 million. However, with Eriksen's current contract set to expire in 2020, Spurs' hierarchy is worried about losing him for free in a year-and-half.
With the latter stages of the season approaching and UCL round-of-16 around the corner, Pochettino wouldn't allow a player of Eriksen's stature to leave in January. However, according to The Independent, a fee in the region of €100 million could be expected for the transfer to take place at the end of the season.
Rumor rating: 6/10
AS is one of the most trusted sources in Spanish football. With the chance of a new agreement not looking optimistic, it is highly likely that the Dane would be sold to Real Madrid next summer, rather than letting him leave for free in 2020.
What's next?
As of now, Christian Eriksen remains a Tottenham player for the remainder of the season. However, it looks highly likely that a summer exit is on the cards and a fee in the region of €100 million would be reasonable for both the clubs.