Erik the Red has real nice ring to it
MANCHESTER UNITED have joined the race to sign playmaker Christian Eriksen following his spectacular return to the Premier League.
New United boss Erik ten Hag is looking for midfield reinforcements.
And he wants to make his budget stretch as far as possible as he plots to bring in six new signings this summer.
Eriksen has now emerged as an option for the Red Devils after his brilliant cameo with Brentford since January.
The Dane, 30, is back to his best after being released by Inter Milan after he had to be fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, following a cardiac arrest playing for Denmark at the Euros a year ago.
Ten Hag got a close-up view of Eriksen’s bid to rescue his career when he allowed him to train with his Ajax squad to build up his fitness before joining Brentford.
The Bees have offered to make him the club’s highest-paid player to stay – but United have joined Eriksen’s old side Tottenham and Everton in the fight to sign him.
Ten Hag has already launched a bid for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, 25, after Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Nemanja Vidic and Jesse Lingard left Old Trafford.
But while the cashstrapped Catalan club have indicated they would be willing to sell for around £70million, the Dutchman is yet to be convinced about a move.
De Jong’s Holland team-mate Jurrien Timber is also having doubts over leaving Ajax to join United in a £35m deal with the World Cup in Qatar approaching.
The defender, 20, has seen Dutch boss Louis van Gaal axe Gini Wijnaldum after he struggled for games at Paris Saint-Germain.
And Timber is worried the same thing could happen to him.