Tottenham Hotspur sold Christian Eriksen well below his estimated transfer value back in January 2020 and that catastrophic mistake is still being felt to this day.
Of course, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy was somewhat backed into a corner as he sold the Danish playmaker – who was once dubbed as an “absolute genius” – to Serie A giants Inter Milan, who had Antonio Conte at the helm, for a paltry £17m.
Earlier in the summer, Eriksen told the Lilywhites hierarchy of his desire for a new challenge but he remained at the club for the start of the 2020/21 campaign after a move to Spain never materialised.
Should Spurs have done more to keep Eriksen?
Come to January, the north Londoners were forced to sell up or face losing him for nothing later in the year but at the time of his departure, Eriksen was actually valued at a whopping £81m by Transfermarkt, meaning the Nerazzurri effectively snagged a bargain – paying £64.1m less.
Not only were Spurs robbed of a substantial amount but they were also left without their leading creative piece, a problem that still lingers around the squad today.
Indeed, Conte – who was appointed as Tottenham boss last November – also wasn’t able to get a tune out of former club-record signings Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso, nor could he reignite Dele Alli’s fire either. The former two were such bad signings that they managed just 15 assists in 175 appearances, only exacerbating the problem surrounding Eriksen’s exit.
And whilst his current wing-back system does not carer for a true no.10, it wouldn’t hurt to have a ‘plan B’ or even a deeper-lying creator. Perhaps it was little surprise to see the Lilywhites linked with moves for players such as James Maddison of Leicester City and AS Roma star Nicolo Zaniolo, among others.
At one stage of the window, even Eriksen was mooted with a return to Hotspur Way following his comeback to football, where he excelled for Brentford, though in the end, it seems as if the Denmark international was still keen on another challenge as he opted for Premier League rivals Manchester United, where he has arguably been their best player this campaign, shining above the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo.
His form at Old Trafford only further compounds the misery that Spurs have faced since Eriksen asked to leave the north London outfit once and for all.
Not only did Levy miss out on a hefty fee but now Tottenham will have to face him twice per season at the very least, whilst still looking for his true successor in that advanced midfield role.
AND in other news, Antonio Conte handed boost ahead of Arsenal clash…
