Eriksen finally reported to be on his way

AFTER what has seemed like an eternity of speculation ramping up and dying down at different stages, it appears that Liverpool may not be far off from closing a deal for Christian Eriksen.

This, from ESPN:

“12.22 BST: Christian Eriksen has agreed personal terms with Liverpool, and is set to complete a €21million from Ajax, according to Tuttomercato. Meanwhile, talkSPORT report that former Liverpool winger Ryan Babel has encouraged Denmark star Eriksen to join the Anfield side.”

Nothing is official until it is announced by the club but after reports of AC Milan scuppering Liverpool’s chances of signing the Ajax playmaker this certainly came out of the blue.

On top of that, it’s great to see Ryan Babel associated with Liverpool FC again. After a few unproductive years at Anfield this may be Babel’s biggest contribution yet for the Reds.

It never hurts to have depth and quality in your side and Eriksen would certainly add that. The player has shown mass amounts of potential and at a young age of only 21, is still left with room to grow and develop.

Perhaps one of the best indicators of the Dane’s potential is the clubs that have been linked with him. Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Bayer Leverkusen, and Tottenham are sides with aspiration and potential, along with well developed scouting networks. Much has been made about the compatibility of Eriksen and Coutinho in the same side but one can only speculate what the manager has in mind.

In Liverpool’s recent friendly against Indonesia XI it appeared that Coutinho was, at times, playing wider on the wings as opposed to a more traditional attacking midfield position. If Brendan Rodgers did choose to deploy Coutinho in the wider areas of the pitch then he could certainly have room to add Eriksen to the middle of his attack.
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The prospect of quality passes linked through these two and being played to the frontmen is something that many teams would rightfully covet. It also adds quality to the attack, something the Reds lacked at times last season.

With the future of Luis Suarez uncertain the production of the attack is going to have to be subsidized. At the very least, the Reds will be without the services of the Uruguayan for the first quarter of the season as he serves the remainder of his ten match ban. If the load is placed on Daniel Sturridge to carry then he is going to need all the help he can get and Eriksen’s assist record speaks volumes to his playmaking ability. But Eriksen’s potential should be realized off the field as well.

Firstly, the purchase of Eriksen should be a clear signal of intent that FSG and Brendan Rodgers are serious about investing in this Liverpool team in attempts to guide them back into the top four. It also should send a message to players like Suarez that the club are not relying on their skill alone to carry them back to a Champions League spot.

Finally, with recent reports hinting at Barcelona’s possible interest in Daniel Agger, perhaps the infusion of another Danish player will make Agger feel more at home and convince him that the journey will be worth it.

Only time will tell if these most recent reports are true but for Liverpool fans suffering through the rigors of the off-season they should do their fair bit in getting the heart-rate moving.

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