It looks like Christian Eriksen won’t be signing for Newcastle United this summer.
The midfielder has been linked with a move to St James’ Park, with his Brentford contract expiring at the end of June.
His availability on a free has led to multiple Premier League clubs chasing his signature, including the Magpies.
The Northern Echo reported in April that Eddie Howe’s side were ‘hopeful’ of signing the 30-year-old. They then added earlier this month that they wanted to hold face-to-face talks about a move.
However, it doesn’t appear that a move to the North East is on the horizon for Eriksen.
Eriksen will sign for Brentford or Manchester United
According to Sky Sports, the Danish playmaker is now deciding whether to stay at Brentford or join Manchester United.
They add that Man United’s offer is more ‘financially lucrative’, but his family are settled in London and are unsure about a move to the North West.
If a move to Manchester doesn’t appeal then a move to Newcastle is probably even less likely. Sky add that money isn’t an incentive for Eriksen, which makes staying with Brentford more likely.
Maybe Gabby Agbonlahor was right all along and people would rather live in London for less money!
Disappointing for Newcastle
The Magpies aren’t even mentioned in Sky Sports’ Eriksen report, which suggests we aren’t even close to being in the conversation.
That’s disappointing, as he would have been a brilliant addition to the Newcastle squad. He’s an incredible technician, with former Toon forward Craig Bellamy calling him ‘world class‘ back in 2018.
However, it is not the end of the world for Howe and co.
Eriksen would have added creativity and vision to a midfield that needs to provide more goals, but he may not have suited Newcastle’s style.
Howe has been using a midfield three for the majority of his spell as Toon boss, whereas Eriksen is better suited to an attacking midfield role.
A free role in between the lines can get the best out of Eriksen, but that doesn’t really fit with how Newcastle play.
And with the World Cup on the horizon, he will want to play in a team that suits his needs to best prepare him for the tournament in Qatar.
Eriksen would have been an excellent signing for Newcastle, but he’s not a priority. Instead, it looks like he will be wearing a red shirt next season – most likely one with white stripes too.
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