Manchester United Transfer News: Christian Eriksen New Contract, Miranda Rumours

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly close to agreeing new terms with star midfielder Christian Eriksen in their bid to ward off interest from Manchester United. Plus, Inter centre-back Miranda has been linked with a move to Old Trafford.

According to Football Insider, Spurs are hoping the offer of a new £80,000-a-week contract will be enough to tie him down in a deal that won't expire until 2021 (h/t David Wright of the Daily Express).

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Former Ajax playmaker Eriksen has been associated with the Red Devils since his playing days in the Eredivisie, and Mirror tipped him for a £20 million switch to Old Trafford in 2012 (h/t Daily Mail).

A year later, however, the Denmark international completed his move to White Hart Lane and has since become a central cog for the north London giants. FourFourTwo writer Chris Miller recently reported he had the finest goal-per-minute ratio of any Spurs player in the Premier League:

United's interest in Eriksen is likely to have only grown since he made the switch to the Premier League, showcasing his attributes as a free-kick specialist and a reliable creative presence either in a central role or as a No. 10.

The Premier League's official Twitter account recently attested to the 24-year-old boasting one of the best assist tallies in the division this term:

That being said, Louis van Gaal's side may struggle to fit another asset of Eriksen's profile considering Juan Mata, Ander Herrera and Jesse Lingard are all vying for a similar role in United's setup.

Any move for Eriksen is likely to be a vast sum more than the £11 million Tottenham paid Ajax for his services two-and-a-half years ago, and Spurs most likely won't be keen on selling their star to a direct rival.

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Elsewhere, Inter defender Miranda is understood to have caught the attention of United bosses, and Italian outlet Calciomercato.com reported Jose Mourinho wants the Brazilian if he takes over at their helm (h/t Metro's Tom Olver).

Inter have the third-stingiest defence in Serie A this season, and it's no consequence that improvement has come after Miranda arrived from Atletico Madrid last summer. David Amoyal of Gianluca Di Marzio has been impressed by his contributions:

However, it's mentioned Carlo Ancelotti is also interested in taking the centre-back to Bavaria when he assumes his position as Bayern Munich boss at the end of this season.

United could use a more seasoned presence at centre-back considering Daley Blind has deputised there this season, but with Miranda set to turn 32 in September, it's questionable whether he's the man for the job.