Eriksen has not settled well in Milan
Arsenal could sign want-away midfielder Christian Eriksen from Inter Milan in January, according to reports in Italy.
The Dane has failed to make an impact since joining Inter last January and has voiced his disappointment at a lack of game time under Antonio Conte this season.
During the current international break, Eriksen spoke to Norwegian media about his frustrating time in Italy. He told TV2:
“This isn’t what I dreamt of. All players want to play as much as possible, but the coach decides who gets to go on the pitch.
“It is a strange situation, as the fans want to see me playing more and so would I, but the coach has different ideas and as a player I have to respect that.”
Eriksen has started just 12 games for Inter since signing in January 2020 and has not registered a goal contribution this season. According to Corriere dello Sport, Inter are looking to offload the playmaker this January and could try to bring Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka to San Siro as part of a swap deal.
Christian Eriksen in action against Jeff Hendrick at Telia Parken in Copenhagen. (Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile)Eriksen has spent the majority of his senior career at Tottenham Hotspur, and turning out for their arch rivals would be sure to cause a storm in north London.
Conte would prefer to reunite with N’Golo Kanté, who helped lead his Chelsea side to Premier League glory in 2016/17, but Xhaka is seen as a possible alternative and Inter reportedly believe he could be persuaded to leave Arsenal after the arrival of the imperious Thomas Partey from Atlético Madrid.
Conte has always been a manager to favour the collective over the individual and his recent comments reflect that. In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, he said:
“All the choices I make are always and only for the good of Inter, not for that of the individual player. I am a hammer, but this is the only way to grow. Without a culture of victory, you can never get to success, but that comes through work and discipline.
“When I leave Inter one day, I hope in the distant future, I am sure of one thing: the Inter I will leave will be better than the one I found, from all points of view. That has always happened in every club I have been to.”
