Why Tottenham must simply ignore this swap deal with Barcelona and stick to their magical superstar

According to reports, Barcelona want Christian Eriksen from Tottenham Hotspur and are willing to include Rafinha in the deal to get the Dane.

Tottenham are reportedly interested in Rafinha, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Inter Milan. The Italian giants have the option to make the midfielder’s deal permanent by paying €35m. However, Inter are reluctant to pay that amount despite securing Champions League football next term.

Inter’s reluctance to sign Rafinha on a permanent basis means the player will return to Barcelona, who could use him as a bargaining chip in their negotiations with Spurs for Eriksen.

Eriksen—one of the more underrated creative geniuses in the game—renewed his contract at Spurs towards the end of 2016 until 2020. And Spurs are reportedly set to reward him with a bumper deal after securing the futures of Mauricio Pochettino and Harry Kane.

The Denmark international has established himself as one of the most important players for Spurs in the last few seasons. While Kane and Dele Alli hogs most of the limelight, it is the creative genius of Eriksen that makes Tottenham tick—finding space, demanding the ball, running the show, creating chances and scoring goals.

A glimpse of the 26-year-old’s game will make one instantly realise that he is one of the best players at Spurs.

Given he performs at a very high level consistently, it is baffling that Eriksen still does not seem to receive the credit he deserves. As well as being a supremely gifted playmaker who is capable of creating opportunities at a premium for his teammates, the Dane is also a key contributor when Spurs are without possession.

Eriksen is very well suited to Pochettino’s high-octane style of play as he tirelessly works off the ball, closes the gaps and presses high up the pitch—duties that modern-day playmakers are rarely seen performing.

Eriksen can and regularly will enthral you with the quality of his precise defence-splitting passes, his effective dribbling abilities and set-piece techniques. He has time and again documented his intelligence by dominating the tempo of the game by knowing when to play swiftly and take risks and when to slow down the pace of the game and keep possession.

Taking Eriksen out of Spurs leaves the rest of the side devoid of any inspiration and guidance – like a teacher without a classroom filled with students.

When Tottenham are struggling to break teams down, it is often the Dane who opens up the opposing defence with his invention and flair. That is why he is so valuable and important to Spurs and has attracted interest from La Liga champions Barcelona.

There’s simply no question that whilst Kane is Spurs’s show-stealer, the beating heart of Pochettino’s side is Eriksen. If Tottenham want to continue their progress, they have to keep hold of the former Ajax man by any means.

Although Rafinha is a talented player, he is still a country-mile behind Eriksen and Spurs must simply ignore doing any deal with Barcelona if it involves parting ways with their best player.