Transfer update on Christian Eriksen to Inter Milan, Thomas Muller to Manchester United and Tottenham’s striker search with Llorente linked
Tottenham playmaker Christian Eriksen WILL join Inter this month, it’s just a matter of how much for, according to European football broadcaster Kevin Hatchard.
Kev joined The Sports Bar on talkSPORT for a game of Transfer Deal or No Deal, as he offered an update on the latest rumours doing the rounds in the January window.
One of the most talked about deals is Eriksen’s possible move away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to Serie A.
The Dane’s contract runs out in the summer, meaning he is free to agree a free transfer to a foreign club this month, but Spurs don’t want to lose the 27-year-old for nothing.
Reports in Italy claim Inter have offered around €10million (£8.5m) for the playmaker, but Spurs want them to double their bid.
And Hatchard believes the move is likely to go ahead, with the Serie A club keen to win the race for Eriksen.
“Inter are very, very keen to sign him and they’ve realised to get a jump on the other clubs they will have to try and do a deal now,” he told talkSPORT.
“But the interesting thing about Eriksen is that he first indicated he wanted a change of scene and play in a different country in the summer, and we thought Real Madrid might be interested in him as an alternative to Paul Pogba, and Atletico Madrid also needed a playmaker but they didn’t bid for him either, and since then he’s not really played very well.
Inter Milan are very keen to sign Christian Eriksen – European expert Kevin Hatchard expects Dane to leave Tottenham in January
“It would be interesting to see if Inter don’t get him in this window just what kind of offers he would actually get a free agent at the end of the season.
“Juventus are the masters of the free agent and they’ve been linked with him for a long time.
“Spurs wanted to do a deal in the summer for a lot more money, and that just didn’t happen. The volume of offers didn’t quite come in perhaps how they expected and his value has obviously gone down since.
“They’re not getting top performances from him, so it makes sense to do a deal, but as we know Daniel Levy is going to try to wring every cent out of him as he possibly can.”
Thomas Muller to Manchester United?
There is not so good news for Ole Gunner Solskjaer, though, amid rumours Man United are keen to bring Thomas Muller to Old Trafford.
The Germany striker has been linked with the Red Devils whenever he has been considering a move away from Bayern, and the reports have resurfaced after the 30-year-old cast doubt over his future.
But Hatchard believes it could all be a ploy from the player to get a new contract with the German giants, having just 18 months left to run of his current deal.
He explained: “There was a lot of talk about Muller leaving when Nico Kovac was the coach, because he was in and out of the side, but Hans-Dieter Flick has come in and they’ve got more of a rapport and there’s more chance of him playing.
“I think this partially depends on the coaching situation, Flick is in charge until the end of the season and there is a chance he will retain the job, and I think also depends onw hat happens with Philippe Coutinho as well – I just don’t see Bayern paying the money required to make that loan into a permanent switch.
“So I think it’s more likely this is Muller maybe just putting a little bit of pressure on Bayern to firm things up in terms of a new contract.”
Latest on Tottenham’s striker search
With Harry Kane facing at least three months on the sidelines, Spurs are widely believed to be in the market for the new centre-forward this month.
Kane’s injury had left boss Jose Mourinho without a senior striker, and a number of players have been linked, including PSG’s Edinson Cavani and AC Milan’s Krzysztof Piatek.
But recent reports have linked Spanish frontman Fernando Llorente with a return to north London, having left to join Napoli in the summer.
And Hatchard says there’s a possibility that could happen.
“New Napoli manager Gennaro Gattuso has made it quite clear he doesn’t see Llorente as part of his plans, and Tottenham know Llorente,” he said.
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“But they’re also being linked with other options, AC Milan’s Krzysztof Piatek is another one strongly linked with a move to Spurs.
“Potentially the only reason they’d go for Llorente is just to give themselves another option in attack if other avenues don’t work out. I don’t think he’d be their first choice.”