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Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen is seeking a move abroad when his contract at Old Trafford expires on July 1.
Eriksen, 33, joined the Red Devils on a free transfer from Brentford in the summer of 2022 after an impressive six-month stint with the Bees the previous season. He signed a three-year contract, worth around £150,000 a week.
The Danish international formed a superb partnership with Casemiro, signed in the same window from Real Madrid, at the heart of Erik ten Hag’s midfield unit.
Together, the experienced duo helped provide a platform for United’s best campaign in recent years as they finished a comfortable 3rd in the Premier League and reached the finals of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, winning the latter with a 2-0 win over Newcastle United at Wembley.
The following two seasons were not as successful, for United or Eriksen, with the 33-year-old maestro increasingly limited in terms of minutes on the pitch.
The Dane would often bring a sense of calm and creativity when he was brought off the bench, however, and there is a feeling he should have been utilised more in this period as a deep-lying playmaker, by either Ten Hag or his successor, Ruben Amorim.
Eriksen will turn 34 next season, and without an obvious place in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system, which relies on physicality in the midfield pivot as much as technicality, the club were content to let the midfielder’s deal run down.
In his last appearance for the club, Eriksen was entrusted to take a penalty to complete a 2-0 win over Aston Villa at Old Trafford, much to the joy of the United faithful amidst a season of misery at the club.
In total, the midfielder, who previously played for Ajax, Tottenham Hotspur, and Inter Milan, made 107 appearances in a Red shirt, scoring eight goals and providing 19 assists.
On a free transfer, with relatively affordable wages, there have been few more cost effective signings at Old Trafford in recent years than Eriksen.
Speaking to Danish TV (as relayed by The Mirror), the 33-year-old revealed his intention was to leave England this summer in search of a new club abroad.
“I would rather get away from the Premier League. I feel like I’ve taken my turn in the Premier League, so I’m looking outside the English borders. It has been a great place for me and my family, and we have been there for many years.
“When I moved from Tottenham to Inter, it wasn’t my plan to go back to England either. After that I’ve been there for three and a half years again, so you should never say never. But my priority is that I have to leave.”
Eriksen has been linked with a number of clubs, including a return to Brentford under Thomas Frank, but the Dane insists nothing has been decided yet.
“It’s football’s rumour mill. I hope no-one has put money on it being now, because then they will lose,” he said. “Right now there is nothing. There is interest all around, but there is nothing where I am close to signing.”
The midfielder concluded by stating his “focus is on playing international matches, and then go on a good summer holiday. Then we will see how long the holiday will be.”
Featured image Alex Livesey via Getty Images
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