Marca have come out with an interesting story highlighting Real Madrid’s or rather, Zinedine Zidane’s, determination to sign Paul Pogba this summer. But apart from that, they also mentioned an alternative option as well: Christian Eriksen.
What’s the word, then?
The Madrid based news outlet focused the majority of their piece on Pogba and how Zidane has his sights set only on his compatriot. They also mention that particular operation would probably be extremely costly considering Manchester United want €200m, which converts to £181.6m.
It’s not really a cheap operation, is it? But somewhere along the lines they also mention the names of Donny van de Beek and Tottenham Hotspur’s Eriksen. Despite those two players not really getting the spotlight at all, Marca do state that Real Madrid could have either of the two if they wanted to.
But Zidane wants Pogba and Pogba only, which is a true shame since Eriksen would be an equally good choice for the Galacticos.
The new Luka Modrić
It’s no longer a secret that Luka Modrić, as much of an influence he might have within the squad, is slowly but surely getting on. The Croatian captain and the World Cup winner is already 33 and for all his brilliance, he is slowing down.
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With that in mind, Los Blancos will surely need another midfield general who is willing to shoulder the responsibility and be the team’s creative outlet. And Eriksen actually ticks all the boxes easily. The Dane is entering his prime years at 27 and is young enough to keep his A-game on the table for a long time but is, at the same time, experienced enough for the biggest stage of them all.
After all, he has miles on the tank both with Spurs, who reached the Champions League final last season, and with Denmark in various international competitions, including the World Cup.
The stats are also in his favour. Eriksen averaged 2.1 key passes in the Premier League with a tally of eight goals and 12 assists last season, compared to Pogba’s 1.6 key passes albeit with a similar return of 13 goals and nine assists, and Modric’s likewise 1.6.
This is something Real Madrid will be particularly happy to hear since they have been struggling with both chance creation and finishing as of late – last season no player assisted more than six times in La Liga, while Karim Benzema was the only player to score into double figures.
But crucially, Eriksen’s contract expires next year, which means that they can most likely get him for a cheaper price. One thing is for sure, he would definitely not cost £181.6m, which is what Marca claim is the sum Manchester United want for Pogba.
Eriksen is simply a cheaper, more available and yet equally good option for Real Madrid. It is actually a no-brainer under the circumstances.
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