Spurs' Target Eriksen Would Add the Defense-Unlocking Presence Villas-Boas Needs

Midway through the second half of last Friday’s Eredivisie match between Heerenveen and Ajax, Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen accepted a pass from the right flank, took one small step inside and then lashed a shot from 22 yards that beat goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt inside the near post.

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The goal ensured that Ajax, who had stuttered out of the gate to begin their 2013-14 campaign, would come away with a point from their trip to Heerenveen, who had been three points ahead of the reigning champions at kickoff.

It may also have been Eriksen’s final tally for the Amsterdam giants.

On Wednesday the Mirror reported Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy and technical director Franco Baldini had arrived in the Dutch capital to seal a move for the 21-year-old, who is entering the final year of his contract with Ajax.

The thinking is that Spurs would prefer to make one or two meaningful signings before sanctioning Gareth Bale’s switch to Real Madrid, and with The Independent suggesting AS Roma forward Erik Lamela could agree to terms with the London outfit before the weekend, it would seem Eriksen could well become the club’s second big-name acquisition of the transfer window’s final week.

And he is every bit the sort of player Spurs require, especially if manager Andre Villas-Boas’ long-term strategical plan involves a 4-3-3 formation.

During his four professional seasons at Ajax (he joined the club as a 16-year-old in 2008) Eriksen not only grew up in the 4-3-3 system espoused by the club but also came to thrive in it. He quickly developed a reputation for being able to unlock defenses from his playmaking position in the centre of the park and in 2011 won the Eredivisie’s prestigious Johan Cruyff award as the division’s top talent.

Given his ability and considerable upside, talk of a big-money transfer seemed always to be part and parcel with the Denmark international. Earlier this summer The Guardian claimed he was a target of both Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool.

But now it would appear Spurs are about to win the race for his signature, and should they succeed in their pursuit they’ll be acquiring a playmaker who could immediately slot in alongside the likes of Paulinho and Mousa Dembele in the middle of the park.

An imaginative midfielder who has been known to fancy a risky pass, Eriksen has the uncanny, unteachable ability to find a way through a defensive setup whether by passing the ball, unleashing a shot from distance or simply lowering his head and charging forward.

The Mirror’s Wednesday report also linked Spurs to Valencia’s Ever Banega and Lazio’s Hernanes, but while Banega would give Villas-Boas the type of midfielder he already has and Hernanes would likely struggle with adapting to a quicker, harder-tackling Premier League, Eriksen would provide the better, more useful option.

And his arrival, combined with those already finalized at White Hart Lane this summer, would go some way to perhaps making Spurs an even more dangerous side than they were when Bale was in it.