Manchester United have yet to make a signing this summer.
The Red Devils recently lost four senior midfielders. Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata will all officially leave the club at the end of the month after failing to extend their contracts.
Even if the quartet weren’t at their best in recent seasons, their exits will undoubtedly leave a major void, and new manager Erik ten Hag is keen to bring in at least one experienced player, ideally 30 years of age, or older, to compensate.
That’s according to a recent report from GiveMeSport, who claims the Dutch tactician is targeting Christian Eriksen on a free transfer due to the Dane’s extensive top-flight and international experience.
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“It is, in fact, one of the reasons they like Christian Eriksen. Outside of the club there may be concerns over whether they have missed Eriksen’s best years, yet inside the club that is not the case,” Journalist Dean Jones wrote.
“His mindset and professionalism could be key to taking the side into a new era along with 37-year-old Ronaldo.”
As things stand, particularly in midfield, Brazil’s Fred is the Red Devils’ oldest senior midfielder at the age of 29 with Bruno Fernandes the club’s second-oldest playmaker at 27. Scott McTominay and Donny Van De Beek are both 25 years old with youngsters James Garner and Hannibal 21 and 19 years old respectively.
When you look at it this way, it is actually surprising to see just how few experienced options Ten Hag will inherit at Old Trafford so his desire to bring in Eriksen certainly makes sense.
Despite now being out of contract and looking for a new club, Eriksen, who has enjoyed spells with Ajax, Tottenham Hotspur, Inter Milan and most recently, Brentford, has featured in 538 professional matches, in all competitions, throughout his impressive career, directly contributing to 272 goals along the way.