Mauricio Pochettino Will Give Christian Eriksen 'Freedom' Amid Contract Rumours

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has said the team's star midfielder Christian Eriksen needs "freedom" when making a decision over his future.

The playmaker's deal with Spurs is set to expire at the end of the 2019-20 campaign, prompting some concerns among the Tottenham fanbase about losing the Denmark international.

Speaking about Eriksen at his press conference on Friday ahead of the match with Manchester United on Sunday, Pochettino said he trusts the midfielder to make the right decision and compared the 26-year-old to his pet dog, per Harry West of Goal.

"Maybe he will sign next week or in six months, or the club and him are having different challenges and dreams," said the Spurs boss. "He's a very special person. You need to give freedom, like on the pitch, you can't put him in the box. Like my dog, when you go in the park, you have to give freedom and trust."

As Dan Kilpatrick of the Evening Standard relayed, Eriksen spoke about his contract situation at Tottenham recently:

Spurs have been able to tie down a number of key assets to long-term deals in recent years, including Pochettino himself. Star forward Harry Kane and Dele Alli are also secure on lucrative deals.

According to Gary Jacob of the Times, Eriksen's extension is proving to be much more of a challenge. The Independent (h/t Albert Escandell of Sport) reported recently that Real Madrid have made the Tottenham man their top target as they seek to add creativity to their midfield options.

Losing Eriksen would be a major blow for Tottenham, as he has provided the team with many memorable moments down the years:

He already has four goals and seven assists in the Premier League this season following on from his haul of 10 goals and 10 assists from the 2017-18 term.

For Pochettino, he has been such a useful player. Eriksen is always productive due to his exceptional technique, vision and set-piece proficiency, but he's versatile, too. Under the Argentinian, the Dane has been used on both flanks, as a No. 10 and in a deeper position in midfield lately.

He's consistently been one of the most creative footballers in the Premier League:

Pochettino is clearly relaxed about the situation involving Eriksen, and so far there are no signs of the midfielder's performances being hindered by the contract saga. Still, if the summer comes and there is no extension agreed, then Tottenham will be vulnerable to losing the player for a knockdown price.

Spurs will be hoping it doesn't get to that point, as they're moving in the right direction and getting closer to challenging for major prizes.