Manchester United star wants to leave after falling down Erik ten Hag's pecking order: Reports
Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen is reportedly looking to leave the club this summer amid a lack of game time under Erik ten Hag.
Danish outlet Ekstrabladet (via TEAMTalk) reports that Eriksen knows his time at Old Trafford has come to an end. The veteran midfielder has been overtaken by the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Scott McTominay, and loanee Sofyan Amrabat in Ten Hag's pecking order.
Eriksen, 32, has started just 11 of 20 games across competitions, registering one goal and two assists. He's only appeared once in Manchester United's last seven league games.
The Dane arrived at Old Trafford as a free agent in July 2022 after leaving Brentford. He was a regular starter under Ten Hag last season, posting two goals and 10 assists in 44 games across competitions.
Eriksen feels that he's been deemed 'surplus to requirements' and is set to make his wish to depart clear. He has just over a year left on his contract but United could look to cash in this summer.
The former Tottenham Hotspur playmaker dealt with a knee injury earlier this season but returned in December. It looked as though he would reclaim his place in Ten Hag's team judging by the Dutch coach's comments (via the club's official website):
"We have some returns that are very useful. The one we are pleased to have is the return of Christian Eriksen in the squad."
However, Eriksen has failed to re-establish himself as a starter for the Red Devils. He could be one of many first-team stars to exit Old Trafford this summer under the club's new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe's regime.
Manchester United icon Paul Scholes tells Erik ten Hag that Christian Eriksen is better than Sofyan Amrabat
Eriksen sat on the bench when Manchester United were beaten 3-1 against Manchester City in the Manchester Derby (March 3). His teammate Amrabat came on in the second half but immediately gave the ball away leading to Erling Haaland putting the final nail in the Red Devils' coffin at the Etihad.
Amrabat has failed to the heights many anticipated when United signed him on loan from Serie A side Fiorentina last summer. The Moroccan midfielder has struggled to adapt to Premier League football, making 22 appearances across competitions.
Paul Scholes argued that Eriksen was a superior player to Amrabat back in October. The Red Devils icon alluded to their playing styles after the Dane's appearance in a 1-0 win against FC Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League group stages:
"You bring Christian Eriksen on, a much better footballer. No disrespect to Amrabat, he’s a stopper he’ll do his kind of thing. But he won’t build up play. Christian Eriksen will."
Reports claim that Manchester United won't be making Amrabat's move a permanent one when his loan expires. He's set to return to Fiorentina at the end of the season after a poor spell with Ten Hag's side.