Dane is the last player fans would want to leave Spurs, Don Hutchison tells The Debate
Friday 23 November 2018 07:32, UK
As uncertainty hangs over his future at Tottenham, is Christian Eriksen's heart elsewhere? The Debate panel discuss...
The 26-year-old Denmark international, who has 18 months left to run on his current contract, has been linked with a host of European clubs, including Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Harry Kane and Dele Alli are among several players to sign new long-term contracts at Tottenham this year, but Eriksen has yet to do so.
Mauricio Pochettino insists he is unconcerned by the midfielder's situation, but Andy Townsend feels Spurs should be worried by the lure of a big European move, unless they are open to the idea of his departure.
"Spurs will want to get this nailed down, but only if they are absolutely 100 per cent committed to do so," Townsend told The Debate. "He is a smart footballer.
"His goalscoring record over the past few seasons has been decent for a midfield player, he's extremely creative and offers Spurs something different, he gives them that bit of guile and creativity.
"But I just wonder if his heart is potentially elsewhere. Eriksen has been at Spurs for a while and they've not quite got over the line.
"This deal is a key transfer deal for him; either he commits full-bloodied to Spurs now and trusts what Pochettino is doing and hopes they add whatever they need to get over the line, or he thinks 'if I'm going to go to Barcelona, I've got to go now'."
Don Hutchison joined Townsend in The Debate studio and believes Eriksen is faced with a big decision over his future.
"Eriksen would be the last person Spurs fans would want to see leave," he added. "He may be waiting to see what Pochettino might want to do.
"The romantic in me thinks that the majority of the players signing new contracts want to go into the new stadium and want to play well, because that may be the difference between Spurs being also-rans and maybe winning the title.
"Eriksen has got a decision to make, he's 26 and the big move might be there. But he's still probably nowhere near his prime, he's probably a year or two away from that."
