The transfer window in the English Premier League slammed shut on August 9th, meaning that clubs could no longer purchase players. But, to the delight of teams in Europe, players can be bought from the Premier League up until August 31st. This has led to a Premier League star landing in the crosshairs of Real Madrid.
Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur have a good transfer relationship: if Real want, Real get – but at a greatly inflated price. Luka Modric was snapped up for around £30 million in 2012/13, while Gareth Bale moved for £90 million a year later.
Despite the emergence of Harry Kane as the league’s best striker, Real Madrid have since left Spurs alone, for the most part. Having the level-headed, not so frivolous Zinedine Zidane as the head coach most likely had a hand in this. Now, Real are back to their big spending ways and have their eyes set on adding another Spurs star to their ranks.
Real Madrid pursue Christian Eriksen
Source: Transfer News Live, via Twitter
According to multiple sources including The Sportsman, Real Madrid are in pursuit of signing creative attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen from Tottenham Hotspur after losing Mateo Kovacic and potentially seeing the back of Luka Modric.
Christian Eriksen has been one of Tottenham’s most influential players over the last few years. The Dane has pulled the strings in midfield and laid precise passes into the path of Harry Kane to boost the Englishman’s scoring. The two work very well together, and some question if Kane’s meteoric rise would have been so grand without such a talented playmaker behind him.
So, it should come as no surprise that Real Madrid want another creative spark after losing a goal scoring veteran in Cristiano Ronaldo and potentially the playmaking veteran in Modric. However, with the English window shut, there’s no chance of Tottenham signing a replacement – should an extravagant fee be settled on.
Recruit from within or sign a replacement?
Source: The Ninety Two, via Twitter
Whether it’s before the European deadline or in January, if Real wants Eriksen enough, they’ll get him. So, the question falls on Tottenham as to what they’d do with the gaping hole in midfield.
For the time-being, Dele Alli could sit behind Harry Kane and Heung-min Son could take up a more regular starting eleven role on the left. It could be a bit soon, but given Mauricio Pochettino’s record, 21-year-old Josh Onomah could get a bump in playing time in the role behind the striker.
If Spurs get the money that’s rumoured to be offered for Christian Eriksen – around £175 million – they will be urged to make a signing. Without a single transfer in the summer, a move for someone like Ryan Sessegnon would be the hope. Sessegnon somehow stayed with Fulham in the summer, but as they’re at 2/1 in the Premier League relegation odds, he may opt to avoid the drop via a transfer if the opportunity comes in January.
Another regular transfer link to Spurs is Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha, but he recently signed a new five-year contract, so might be harder to prize away from the club. If it’s more of a central playmaker that Tottenham want, they could pursue the versatile Nabil Fekir or Real Madrid’s fallback option in Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
Even if Real Madrid were willing to flash enough cash to get Daniel Levy to consider the move, it likely wouldn’t come into play until January, when Tottenham can sign a replacement. Spurs’ dry summer will only add to their staunch no-sell stance.
