Eriksen ‘can’t wait to get started’ after return with Brentford
Brentford were the first Premier League club to make a move on transfer deadline day as Christian Eriksen joined the Bees on a deal until the end of the season, just seven months after suffering a cardiac arrest.
The 29-year-old, who collapsed while playing for Denmark at Euro 2020 last summer, was a free agent after leaving Inter Milan by mutual consent as rules in Italy prevented him from playing with a implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) device fitted.
The ex-Tottenham midfielder had been training with former club Ajax but has now agreed terms with Brentford having completed his medical assessments – though he is not due to travel to west London immediately.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank, who worked with
Eriksen while in charge of Denmark’s Under-17s squad early in his career, welcomed his compatriot to the club.
“We have taken an unbelievable opportunity to bring a world-class player to Brentford,” Frank said. “He hasn’t trained with a team for seven months but has done a lot of work on his own.
“He is fit but we will need to get him match fit and I am looking forward to seeing him work with the players and staff to get back towards his highest level. At his best, Christian has the ability to dictate games of football. He can find the right passes and is a goal threat.”
The club’s director of football Phil Giles said that, though the club would not divulge any of Eriksen’s private medical information, “Brentford fans can rest assured that we have undertaken significant due diligence to ensure that Christian is in the best possible shape”.
Premier League leaders Manchester City have been active too, signing Argentina
striker Julian Alvarez, although the 22-year-old striker is due to remain with River Plate on loan until at least July – and potentially longer depending on their progress in the Copa Libertadores.
Alvarez, who has five caps for his country, has scored 36 goals and added 25 assists in 96 appearances for River Plate.
Burnley have completed the signing of Holland international Wout Weghorst from Wolfsburg for a reported £12million fee. The 6ft 6in striker has signed a threeand-a-half-year contract.