Mr 'Here we go' says that the Danish midfielder is likely to leave Old Trafford once his contract expires at the end of the season.
Romano:
"Manchester United and Christian Eriksen are still expected to part ways at the end of the season.
No negotiations taking place over new deal, while Rúben Amorim’s opinion will also be considered — but Eriksen’s expected to leave."
The 32-year-old joined the club from Brentford in 22/23 in which he signed a three-year deal taking him to the end of the current campaign.
That wasn't the longest of deals tbh but I don't think anyone thought it would go as well as it has done with Eriksen nor that he would be such an important player for the club.
In that first season, Eriksen was one of our main players as we saw what a difference he made to the team when he wasn't in it.
His play style suited what then manager Erik ten Hag needed in his midfield and he also complimented Casemiro's more robust and old school approach as CDM with his class and guile. The pair actually did a much better job than many expected and were part of the reason as to why we had a really good first campaign under ten Hag.
That injury he picked up against Reading though, in which Andy Carroll made a horror tackle on the Dane is pretty much where things started to go wrong.
That ankle injury in 2023 kept him out for two-and-a-half months from the end of January to the start of April.
Thanks Andy Carroll. Thanks a lot 😐.
Even last season, he was out for a month with a knee problem that caused Eriksen to miss 10 games for club and country. I believe that those injuries resulted in a very stop-start year for the midfielder causing him to lose a lot of the rhythm he had when he first arrived.
It was also difficult for the 32-year-old to get into the team because as he wasn't a CDM and we needed one when Casemiro was injured and out of form; Kobbie Mainoo being undroppable; and the fact that Bruno was NEVER going to be dropped/rotated/rested, it meant that there was no place for Eriksen in the side.
That lack of game time made me think that perhaps he wouldn't even see this season.
Even at the start of this campaign, Erik ten Hag only used Eriksen for 4 minutes in the opening three matches. That came in the 3-0 loss to Liverpool.
However, ever since the September internationals, Eriksen has been somewhat of a stalwart in midfield and has shown the form and importance that he had in his first season. The Dane started 10 out of the 12 matches upon returning from international duty.
He then picked up an injury that kept him out of the win over Leicester in the Carabao Cup as well as the draw against Chelsea. The midfielder came back in the wins over PAOK and Leicester in the league but may have trouble getting back into the side.
Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte seem to have struck up quite a good partnership of their own while Bruno has picked up form (not like he was going to be dropped anyway, although with a new manager, you never know), and we're seeing the returns of Mainoo and Mason Mount.
Getting into that midfield will be difficult but again, with Ruben Amorim taking over, we have no idea what he will do in terms of selection but with the form of 4 goals and 3 assists so far this season, it gives him a decent chance of being considered by Amorim.
This is a new opportunity for everyone.
I personally wouldn't mind seeing Eriksen stay for one more season. I think he is a good character to have in the dressing room and he brings a lot of experience too, which is always a good thing.
He has also been a good player for us showing that class is permanent as I don't think many expected him to be as good as he has been. He also admitted that he and his family are happy and settled in Manchester.
This was Eriksen speaking about his future back in mid-September:
"I feel very good being at United. If they told me to leave I would leave but I didn't hear that.
I'm also a guy who likes being in a place where my family is settled and at the same time being in a place where I can benefit and play, that's always going to be my aim.
There's one year left so my focus is going to be on this year, going full out and see what happens afterwards" via SuperSport.
But admittedly, with the amount of midfielders we have and the fact that Amorim will probably want to bring in more, I'm not sure there is place for the Dane at United.
His age and wage could be a problem as well so there is more reason to let him go than keep him.
But what would you do with Christian Eriksen? Would you like to see him given a contract extension or not?
Background Image: Christian Eriksen | Creator: Michael Regan | Credit: Getty Images Copyright: 2024 Getty Images via Goal