3 reasons why Christian Eriksen will improve Manchester United

Christian Eriksen joined Manchester United this summer on a free transfer from Brentford and the club were praised for making an astute signing. While the Dane's arrival does not solve all of United's issues, his signing is a healthy addition to the midfield department. Given Eriksen's previous relationship with Erik ten Hag, the signing made complete sense.

Manchester United's pre-season has now ended and while clear improvements are there to be seen, the team still needs a holding midfielder. We will look at three ways in which the signing of Christian Eriksen improves Manchester United.

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#3. Eriksen gives Ten Hag more options in the midfield

By the end of last season, it was clear to everyone that Manchester United needed to add a quality midfielder. Fred and Scott McTominay are both good players in their own right, but the pair cannot operate in midfield week-in and week-out for another whole season.

While Eriksen is known to be an advanced midfielder and tends to operate as a number 10, his acquisition gives Ten Hag better midfield options.

In two pre-season games, Eriksen was seen picking up deep positions and producing long-range passes to help the team advance further. This proves he has the capabilities and technical ability to play as a number 8. This enables Ten Hag to deploy a 4-3-3 formation.

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#2. Eriksen will add creativity to Manchester United

Christian Eriksen is an extremely creative player. In the last two years, other than Bruno Fernandes, United haven't had many creative playmakers. Eriksen will help introduce flair from the midfield on a consistent basis.

In United's last home game last season, they beat Brentford 3-0. It was arguably one of the best performances in what was otherwise a disastrous season. Fernandes operated on the left that night with Mata occupying the number 10 role. Manchester United were in complete control that night and Fernandes and Mata linked up brilliantly.

This is something we could see between Eriksen and Fernandes this season. Recently against Rayo Vallecano, Eriksen operated in the number 10 role while Fernandes was pushed to the left wing. While this means United's frontline will not be as explosive, it will have bags of creativity which could prove to be imperative in breaking sides down.

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#1. Eriksen will push Bruno Fernandes to play better

Bruno Fernandes has made the number 10 role his own since joining The Red Devils in January 2020. The Portuguese was brilliant in his first eighteen months and played a vital role in helping the club achieve back-to-back Champions League qualifications.

One weakness in Fernandes' game is his poor ball-retention. This is understandable as he is a player who takes a lot of risks.

In the first eighteen months, this was not seen as a real issue as the Portuguese was piling up goals and assists. Last season, the goal contributions dried up as Fernandes underwent his worst spell of form since joining Manchester United. While there is hope that he will regain his form and get back to his best, Eriksen will be there to take his place if Fernandes fails to deliver.