Tottenham news: Christian Eriksen ‘not worth’ big-money contract anymore, claims Tony Cascarino amid Manchester United and Real Madrid transfer links
Christian Eriksen is no longer worth a new big-money contract at Tottenham due to his ‘indifferent’ form over the last year, claims Tony Cascarino.
The Danish playmaker is expected to leave the club either in January or at the end of the season when his contract expires, having made it clear he wants to quit Spurs and ‘try something new’.
Reports have linked Real Madrid and Manchester United with an interest in the 27-year-old and Tottenham, who are desperate not to lose him for nothing, could sell in January.
The White Hart Lane hierarchy are said to be keen to convince Eriksen to stay, having been one of the club’s best and most consistent performers since his arrival from Ajax for just £12.5million six seasons ago.
But the Dane has no interested in extending his deal and has rejected every offer put on the table, despite reportedly being offered wages of around £230,000-a-week which would put him alongside Harry Kane as the club’s top earners.
However, Cascarino says the midfielder has been out of sorts for a while and is no longer worth such as contract anyway, and should allow the playmaker to leave if he wishes.
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Speaking on Saturday’s Gameday Breakfast, the former Chelsea star said: “A year or maybe 18 months ago, you would have paid Erikson the sort of funds that would bring him up to the highest levels at Spurs and perhaps in the country.
“But I wouldn’t now.
“His performances last season were indifferent.
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“This year, apart from coming on against Villa in the opening game of the season, he’s been poor and Tottenham have struggled.
“So I don’t see the big demand [to keep him] or the reasoning that ‘we give him what he wants’, no.”
Eriksen’s eventual departure may be the first big mover in what could prove to be a big reshuffle and squad overhaul under Pochettino.
The club have allowed the contracts of a number of key first-team players to run down, including the likes of Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld and Danny Rose, perhaps with the view to replacing them in the coming months.
Cascarino added: “I think Tottenham have got major challenges they didn’t have a year ago.
“I totally agree that Pochettino deserves the right to change things.
“That’s his biggest challenge, he’s going to have to tear up his team sheet and the club have got to give him the backing to do that.
“But it’s going to be very tricky, they can’t do it too quickly. What you’ve got to do is a graduate change, the sledgehammer approach won’t work.”
Listen back to a clip of Tony Cascarino on Gameday Breakfast above
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