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Christian Eriksen Unworried by Tottenham Future Despite Contract Rumours
November 13, 2018
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Christian Eriksen has said he isn't worried about his future in north London amid suggestions his ongoing contract negotiations have led to a decrease in playing time this season.
The playmaker's contract is due to expire in the summer of 2020, and Sport Witness cited quotes he gave to Danish newspaper BT, which enquired about his drop in game time since suffering an injury in September.
Erisken, 26, was asked whether he felt his contract talks were a factor in his diminished playing time, and he responded: "You must ask the coach about that. I don't know that."
However, he was more relaxed in his follow-up and gave the impression he's not concerned: "I have not felt that they would throw me out yet [says with a big smile]. It's a business for the club, but it's not something I've thought about."
The Denmark international played every minute of Tottenham's first six league games this season but has played only 41 minutes in their last four matches.
There was some confusion regarding Eriksen's injury earlier this season and the severity of the problem.
Denmark manager, Age Hareide, caused a stir in October, when he said the abdominal injury could be chronic, but Eriksen's agent Martin Schoots told the Evening Standard's Dan Kilpatrick his client was just suffering from fatigue.
Eriksen will join up with the Denmark squad for the upcoming international break and appeared happier for his respite of late, via Sky Sports:
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino left Eriksen on the bench in Saturday's edgy 1-0 win at Crystal Palace.
Tottenham have won five of their six Premier League games since Eriksen's injury, and their only loss came when he made a nine-minute cameo at the end of their 1-0 defeat to defending champions Manchester City.
What's more, he's played every minute of the club's last two UEFA Champions League games and captained the side in their fourth-round Carabao Cup win over West Ham United
Contract negotiations have been written about for a while, and ESPN FC's Peter O'Rourke reported in May the club were confident of striking an agreement.
All those signs suggest Pochettino is just picking his moments to utilise Eriksen amid his fitness concerns, and Spurs blogger Chris Miller emphasised the impact felt when he's not around:
Eriksen was signed from Ajax in 2013 for a reported £11.5 million, which could be counted as one of the best bargains in modern Premier League history.
The player himself doesn't appear fazed by his lack of minutes recently, although fears are sure to grow as he prepares to enter the final 18 months of his deal.