The Republic of Ireland’s defence can certainly attest to Christian Eriksen’s talent.
The Denmark midfielder scored one of the finer hat-tricks you’re ever going to see to crush Irish hearts on Tuesday night, denying Martin O’Neill’s men a place at next summer’s World Cup.
Eriksen lit up the Aviva Stadium and will return to Spurs in confident form ahead of Saturday’s North London derby against Arsenal.
The 25-year-old suddenly finds himself one of the most in-demand prospects in world football and has been linked with a move to Barcelona in recent weeks.
Having missed out on Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho last summer, Barca boss Ernesto Valverde sees Eriksen as a more than capable alternative.
The Catalan press have been reporting on Barcelona’s expected pursuit of Eriksen on Wednesday and have revealed Spurs’ remarkable valuation of the midfielder, who has scored 46 goals in 193 games since moving to Tottenham in 2013.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has said: “If PSG paid €222 million for Neymar, Christian Eriksen costs €225 million.”
While that price tag may scare Barcelona off, it remains to be seen whether or not Eriksen would even entertain the notion of leaving the Premier League as he has recently showered praise upon manager Mauricio Pochettino.
“He has given stability not only to me but to the whole club,” Eriksen said of Pochettino during an interview with Sky Sports. “That’s the main thing for a player. You feel comfortable, you feel aware of everything around you and you don’t think about anything other than football when you’re on the pitch.
“All the players have long-term contracts. They feel safe being here. It’s why you commit your future to a place like this.”
