Man Utd star urged to make ‘fantastic’ move away by club legend after another Amorim snub

Harry Watkinson 10 Feb 2025 7:15 AM

Christian Eriksen is very likely to leave Man Utd

Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen has been told to ditch Old Trafford for a European giant, with a departure looking likely for the 32-year-old who is still ‘so good.’

The experienced centre-mid has played just 10 minutes in Man Utd’s last four Premier League games and it’s clear that he isn’t in Ruben Amorim’s long term plans.

With his Man Utd contract expiring in June, everything at this stage points towards Eriksen leaving on a free transfer. He could leave alongside other players on expiring deals, like Victor Lindelof, Jonny Evans and Tom Heaton.

And now, former Red Devils goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel has said that he believes a return to former club Ajax would be the perfect next step for Eriksen, after he was left on the bench for their FA Cup win over Leicester City on Friday.

“That [move to Ajax] would be a great step for him,” Schmeichel told Voetbal Primeur. “Of course, as we know, he is a midfielder. Nowadays in the Premier League you need players who can sprint up and down for 90 minutes.

“The way Ruben Amorim wants to play also doesn’t suit him, he wants to win the ball back quickly. At a very high pace. That’s not in his nature. Unfortunately, Eriksen no longer has that energy.

“He’s a great player. Some of the things he does on the field… He’s still so good on the ball and technically. I think Ajax would be a fantastic move for him.”

Man Utd ace tipped to return to Ajax

Eriksen was linked with moves away from Man Utd last summer and in the January window, when Amorim reportedly said he’d have no problem with him leaving.

The Danish international has since found minutes hard to come by, so perhaps a move away from the club could be the best thing for his career. In any case, it seems unlikely he’ll be offered an extension anyway.

Speaking back in October, Eriksen confirmed that Man Utd hadn’t held talks with him over a renewal.

“No, we are not there at the moment [talks about staying put]. I have one year left, and then we can have another conversation next year when you stand in a different place,” Eriksen said.

“I had no thoughts about moving on,” he said. “And I didn’t hear from the club that they wanted to sell me or that I had to leave. I really just felt that the family and I were doing really well. If something really exciting came along, or something where I really felt: ‘I want to try this,’ then fair enough, but it wasn’t something that I had to leave.”

Eriksen initially came through Ajax’s academy and went on to make 163 appearances for the Dutch side between 2010 and 2013, before sealing an £11m move to Tottenham.

Man Utd round-up: Mateta competition, Calvert-Lewin linked

Meanwhile, Man Utd have been linked with a move for Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta recently, who has scored 10 Premier League goals so far this season.

However, TEAMtalk transfer insider Rudy Galetti has revealed that Atletico Madrid are plotting a summer move for the forward as Diego Simeone eyes replacement targets for Antoine Griezmann.

Mateta is under contract until 2026 and if he doesn’t sign an extension, Crystal Palace will be forced to consider offers for him at the end of the season.

In other news, reports suggest that Man Utd are interested in signing Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer in the summer.

Everton are keen to tie Calvert-Lewin down to an extension but talks are currently at a standstill, with his current deal set to expire in June.

Newcastle and Bournemouth have also shown interest in the England international but he has a poor injury record, so Man Utd will have to think carefully before making a move.

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