Tottenham RUMBLED as Chelsea boss wants to sign unhappy Real Madrid target Eriksen
MAURIZIO SARRI has revealed he would love to steal unhappy Danish star Christian Eriksen away from Tottenham.
Posted Saturday, November 24, 2018 by Express.co.uk
Tottenham star Christian Eriksen could end up at Chelsea instead of Real Madrid
Sarri’s unbeaten Chelsea team face Spurs at Wembley tonight when third place in the Premier League meets fourth in one of the key battles for a Champions League place this season.
Eriksen has been a critical player for Spurs since his arrival from Ajax in 2013, but there has been no breakthrough in contract talks with the skilful playmaker, whose current deal runs out in 2020.
The Denmark international has been among the substitutes for Spurs’ past three league games after returning from a month on the sidelines with an abdominal problem in mid-October, but he is expected to figure tonight.
The delay in a new deal being signed – talks have been ongoing since the summer – has alerted clubs all over Europe, with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Paris St-Germain all ready to pounce if the situation is not resolved.
The 26-year-old has seen England duo Harry Kane and Dele Alli both sign lucrative new deals which have put them ahead of him in the pecking order at Tottenham, and he wants parity.
Last year Antonio Conte, then Chelsea manager, admitted that if there was one player in the world he would sign if he could, it would have been Kane.
Last night, asked which of the current Tottenham side he would like in his line-up, Sarri plumped for Eriksen.
The Italian, whose team will be trying to make it 19 game unbeaten since the start of the season, said: “Of course Harry Kane is the best English striker in the moment, so a very important player.
Tottenham are yet to lock Christian Eriksen down to a new contract
Christian Eriksen is also a target of Real Madrid
"If I had to say another name, I like Eriksen very much. He is a very smart player, a very technical player.
"He’s able to play in midfield and, at the same time, score eight or nine goals in a season. He is a very important player.
"I like him very much, but I don’t want to talk about a Tottenham player for the market.”
Sarri hit back at Pochettino’s suggestion this week that Chelsea have an easier task in the Premier League this season because they are not in the Champions League.
The Stamford Bridge club are playing in the Europa League this term having finished outside the top four last season, and have already qualified from their group having won all four games.
Sarri said: “I do not think it is easier because the Europa League is very difficult.
"Of course, the Champions League is harder from the mental point of view. It’s very difficult if you play in Madrid against Real to be ready three days later for a league game, from a mental point of view.
"But on the other hand, in the Europa League you have to play on a Thursday and, with the rules of the Premier League, that’s not easy. Next week we will play on Thursday against PAOK Salonika at 8pm, and then at noon on Sunday 64 hours later we face Fulham.
Christian Eriksen is set to play for Tottenham vs Chelsea on Saturday
"Not at the moment,” he said. “I believe in another way of football. It’s impossible to recover only via the market.
"Maybe you can buy two or three very important players, but maybe one is not suitable for your team. So it’s not easy to do it through the market. We have to work.”
Sarri, who saw key midfielder N’Golo Kante sign a new five-year deal yesterday, expects to have fellow schemer Mateo Kovacic fit tonight, after he picked up a muscle problem while on international duty with Croatia.
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