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After six consistent seasons for Tottenham Hotspur, Christian Eriksen has gotten the rumor mills spinning by suggesting that it could be time for him to consider other options, specifically name-dropping Real Madrid as a potential next club.
This was interpreted as a come-and-get me plea to the Spanish giants, who have expressed interest in the midfielder in the past.
Zinedine Zidane’s men are also known admirers of French international Paul Pogba with reports indicating that the club is in discussions over a potential switch to the Santiago Bernabeu.suggesting
It is highly unlikely that the club would go for both Paul Pogba and Christian Eriksen, as their positional similarity means that only one of the pair can complete their dream move to the 13-time Champions League winners.
While Pogba might be the more flamboyant and high profile of the two, it would be in Real Madrid’s best interests to go for Christian Eriksen rather than Paul Pogba.
In this piece, we shall highlight three reasons why Christian Eriksen represents a better transfer option for Real Madrid as opposed to the Frenchman.
#3 He would come at a cheaper price
Paul Pogba was made the most expensive player in history when Manchester United paid the sum of £89m to Juventus in the summer of 2016.
Over the last three years, the 26-year-old has not done too much to justify that hefty fee and continues to divide opinions about his standing till this day.
Given the inflated nature of the current market, it stands to reason that Manchester United would not let their star man leave on the cheap, with reports suggesting that the club has placed a value of €150 million on him.
Beyond that, he also earns the whopping sum of £290,000/week, which is considerably more than what anyone else apart from Gareth Bale earns at the Bernabeu currently.
By contrast, Christian Eriksen earns the rather modest sum of £75,000 weekly which is a criminally low pay considering his sublime talent.
Real Madrid could considerably turn his head with an offer of double (or more) his current Tottenham wages, whereas Paul Pogba and his notorious agent Mino Raniola would most likely push to earn at least his current salary at United or even more.
Christian Eriksen, who is into the final year of his contract, could likely be available for a cut price fee although Daniel Levy has earned a reputation of being a tough nut to crack in transfer negotiations.
A summer of heavy spending at Real Madrid is expected, with the club having already completed the purchases of Eder Militao, Luka Jovic, and Rodrygo for the combined sum of £139.5m, while those of Ferland Mendy and Eden Hazard are also reportedly close to completion with the total fee exceeding €170m.
Moving ahead, Real Madrid must sign cheaper players or sell off some players in order not to fall foul of FFP regulations.
However, among the current group of players rumored to be on their way out, arguably only James Rodriguez and Gareth Bale could potentially command high transfer fees, but the former has just one year left on his Real Madrid deal while Gareth Bale’s persistent injury issues and advancing years could affect the amounts gotten for both players.
Christian Eriksen offers a cheaper alternative to Paul Pogba while also offering similar or even higher performance levels and as such, given the amount of spending expected at Real Madrid this summer, it is imperative that Real Madrid goes all out to sign him.
#2 His calmer personality fits in with the new look Real Madrid
In the not too distant past, Real Madrid earned the reputation of having the dressing room with the most power influence, with the superstar players at the club meaning that there were lots of power plays and displays of egos.
This undoubtedly had an impact on the club’s on-field performance, with the club underperforming despite the presence of marquee world class players.
This group of players were known as the ‘galacticos’ and current manager Zinedine Zidane was a bonafide member of the playing squad, having represented the club for five years between 2001 and 2006.
The three-time FIFA World Player of the Year saw firsthand what such assemblage of multiple egos could do to a team and perhaps that is why he has not towed that path as a manager.
All the signings sanctioned by Zidane since taking the managerial reins at Real Madrid have all been low-key players of undoubted ability devoid of the razz-mattaz associated with the more famous and celebrity-like players.
Paul Pogba fits in more with the ‘galactico’ stereotype which Zidane has been keen to deviate from throughout his tenure.
The former Juventus man is extremely popular on social media, having almost a cult-like followership and is concordantly one of the most marketable players in the world and as such, it comes as no surprise that he has an inflated ego which is common with most celebrities.
On the other hand, Christian Eriksen is an easy going unassuming player who does most of his talking on the field, with not much being known about his life off the field. This undoubtedly fits in more to the player profile favored by Zinedine Zidane compared to Paul Pogba.
#1 Pogba’s acrimonious history could work against Real Madrid in the future
In the last three years, there has arguably been no player who divided opinions as sharply as Paul Pogba, as the French international has both fans and critics alike in almost equal measure.
He saw deterioration in his relationship with former manager Jose Mourinho, with things reaching a head such that he lost his starting place, with the Portuguese tactician’s ostracism of him causing a divide in the United dressing room.
Jose Mourinho was eventually sacked and despite an improvement in performance upon the appointment of Ole Gunner Solskjaer, Pogba once more descended into mediocrity and his subdued performances in the business end of the campaign was one of the reasons why Manchester United failed to wrap up a top-four finish despite being in a commanding position.
Pogba has faced criticisms over his inconsistencies and seeming nonchalance on the field and if he is to bring this attitude with him to Real Madrid, things are sure to boil over with a set of notoriously demanding fans whose patience runs thin with underperforming players, while his clash with Mourinho does not bode well for Zinedine Zidane.
By contrast, Christian Eriksen’s last six years have gone by with virtually no incident at Tottenham and despite his low pay and hunger for trophies, the 27-year-old has never once tried to force a move away from North London.
Christian Eriksen is almost the perfect definition of a consummate professional and, unlike Pogba, does not come with any excess baggage which could come back to haunt the Real Madrid in future.
