Why Tottenham would be foolish to accept Matic for Eriksen
Reports from The Athletic (h/t Mirror) suggest that Manchester United could offer Nemanja Matic as part of the deal for Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen.
Eriksen continues to be linked with a move to United and could leave Tottenham, despite Jose Mourinho’s arrival. With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, the midfielder is ready to move away, according to Guardian.
At the same time, Nemanja Matic’s contract also is set to come to an end in the summer after three years with the Red Devils. The Serbian, who joined for £40m, has been out of favour under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after the rise of Scott McTominay has only worsened the situation.
With Eriksen and Matic’s situations with their respective teams, a swap deal does not sound too bad.
It is no doubt that Eriksen would improve United’s midfield but this deal could turn out to be bad for Tottenham.
Matic was very successful during his time at Chelsea alongside the Portuguese manager, who then brought the midfielder to Manchester United in 2017. The Serbian was effective in his first term at Old Trafford but in this campaign, he has hardly featured for the Red Devils.
At 31, Matic has also been on the sidelines for the most part of the season with injuries.
Meanwhile, Eriksen has been instrumental in Tottenham successful run over the past few years and is in good shape. He was excellent in their run to the Champions League final last season.
Predominantly a playmaker, Eriksen has scored 68 goals while racking up 88 assists in his time with the Lilywhites. A player of esteemed quality, he has been the core in Tottenham’s squad for several years. And letting him go for Matic would be a blunder by the club.
Tottenham have the likes of Harry Winks, Moussa Sissoko, Eric Dier and Tanguy Ndombele. They all seem to be more energetic than Matic at the moment.
Dier has not been used much this season but on his day, he can be crucial for the team. It is only be a matter of time before he retains form and starts performing regularly again.
Harry Winks has been solid so far but Ndombele is yet to take a huge stride for the team. The Frenchman is young and could be used more effectively up and down the pitch.
Therefore, Matic would hardly do anything for Tottenham if they add him to the squad.
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Verdict
By all means, Eriksen must be convinced to stay in North London and his experience could prove to be vital for a team that is developing from scratch under Mourinho.
It would be good for Tottenham to avoid Matic and continue with their promising midfield talents.
