Mauricio Pochettino admits uncertainty surrounding Christian Eriksen’s Tottenham future

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Mauricio Pochettino has admitted that the Christian Eriksen transfer saga has been a distraction for his Tottenham Hotspur squad, BBC Sport reports. Pochettino added that he did not know what the immediate future holds for Eriksen.

The Denmark midfielder is a target for Real Madrid and Juventus. He has one year remaining on his contract and no progress has been made on an extension. Consequently, Eriksen’s future remains up in the air.

Speaking after the 1-0 loss against Newcastle United – where Eriksen was a substitute – Pochettino admitted uncertainty surrounded Eriksen’s future. The 27-year-old could still move before the European window shuts on September 2.

Pochettino said (quotes via BBC): “We are waiting to see what happens. It’s not an easy situation. We know this can unsettle the group but we know in 10 days it will finish [when the window closes] and things will be clear.”

TBR’s view

Regardless of the outcome of this Eriksen saga, Pochettino and Tottenham fans will be relieved when the European window shuts. Eriksen’s precarious contract situation means Spurs can be held to ransom.

If Spurs do not sell him now, his value will drop in January and there is a risk that he can continue to unsettle Pochettino’s squad. Furthermore, keeping him all season increases the chance of losing him for nothing. He could leave for free next summer unless there is progress on new contract talks.

The whole situation shows that the Premier League has made a mistake with the transfer window, though. Shutting it early was not a bad idea in itself but it has presented an advantage to other European clubs, who can still raid English teams for players without them being able to source viable replacements.