Brentford and Thomas Frank are hopeful of retaining Christian Eriksen as the Dane prepares to make a decision on his future this summer but has been handed a shrewd warning
Thomas Frank has told Christian Eriksen he will receive a statue from the Brentford fans if he chooses to remain in west London.
The Dane signed a short-term deal with the Bees back in January having been released by Inter Milan. Eriksen was recovering following a cardiac arrest he suffered whilst playing for his country at Euro 2020. He’s proved to be a huge hit back in the capital, scoring once in ten hugely influential outings.
Eriksen has previously highlighted his quality during seven seasons at Tottenham, before leaving for Italy in January 2020. There is plenty of talk about the 30-year-old’s next move with his Brentford contract expiring this summer. The Premier League new boys are desperate to keep him as they prepare for a second top flight season.
Frank has told his playmaker that success with the Bees will see him become a hero, something he may not get at other clubs. He said: “I’m convinced there is a good chance he can wear a Brentford shirt (next season). I know I’m optimistic, but I also picked up the phone and called him to say ‘hey, do you want to come to Brentford?’ No one thought about that six months ago. The way I see it for us, its a win-win.
“He helped the team, he gave something to the fans. We helped him back to his football life. For Christian, it is a win-win. Either he signs with us and everyone is going to be happy – the fans will build a statue of him outside the stadium in two or three years’ time – or he will go to a bigger level and the fans will applaud him.”
That is a similar sentiment sent to Philippe Coutinho, who left Liverpool for Barcelona in 2018. The Brazilian had proved to be a huge star at Anfield and was among Jurgen Klopp’s most potent attacking weapons. Spain’s two giant clubs have long had a huge allure for South American players.
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Image:
AFP via Getty Images)
The Liverpool boss warned Coutinho though that he wouldn’t enjoy the same status away from Liverpool. “Stay here and they will end up building a statue in your honour,” Klopp told him. “Go somewhere else, to Barcelona, to Bayern Munich, to Real Madrid, and you will be just another player. Here you can be something more.”
Coutinho’s mega-money switch to the Nou Camp would not work out as planned and he returned to England in January with Aston Villa, who he is due to sign for on a permanent basis. The Brazilian has been far more consistent away from Catalunya, scoring four times in 17 games.
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