Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Christian Eriksen is set to join fellow Premier League side Manchester United on a free transfer next season.
The Denmark international has told the club that he wants to leave at the end of his contract in the summer and the midfielder is among the players United are following closely along with Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish.
Eriksen could leave in the January transfer window for the right price but clubs are aware the £40million-rated player will be available on a free transfer within six months and can start talking next week to foreign clubs over a pre-contract.
The 27-year-old would have cost over £100million while tied to a long-term contract but has never agreed an extension since his fresh terms were completed four seasons ago.
Real Madrid see the midfielder as a long-term replacement for Luka Modric, with the Spanish club feeling he could drop into a slightly deeper role to dictate play. But the emergence of Uruguay youngster Federico Valverde at the Bernabéu means that he might not join the Los Blancos.
Meanwhile, Spurs head coach Jose Mourinho has refused to deny that the midfielder wants to leave the club in the January transfer window.
Speaking about what he discussed with Eriksen concerning his future, Mourinho on Friday said he does not want to betray the player’s trust by revealing the nature of their talks.
He said: “I only know his contract ends at the end of the season and the conversations I have had with Christian are private conversations that I am not going to share,” he said.
“I think it is a personal thing. I am not going to share.
“He was so honest with me and I was so honest with him that our relationship is really, really good.
“We have a very good relationship that started on day one. I am not going to betray that trust and relationship.
“I just share these intimate conversations with the structure of the club, and Christian obviously knows I am an important part of the club and my job is to share with the structure but to you, it is not for me to say.
“It is up to Christian to tell anything he wants to or not.”
