Man United confirm the signing of Christian Eriksen on a three-year contract

Manchester United have completed the signing of Christian Eriksen as a free agent.

Eriksen becomes United’s second new arrival under manager Erik ten Hag after agreeing a three-year contract at Old Trafford until 2025.

The 30-year-old Dane will not be joining the remainder of the club’s pre-season tour of Australia which only has another week to run, and will work on his fitness at Carrington instead.

Eriksen’s arrival at Old Trafford completes a remarkable return after his cardiac arrest suffered while playing for Denmark in the first game of last year’s European Championship

Eriksen said: ‘Manchester United is a special club, and I cannot wait to get started. I have had the privilege of playing at Old Trafford many times but to do it in the red shirt of United will be an amazing feeling.

‘I have seen Erik’s work at Ajax and know the level of detail and preparation that he and his staff put into every day. It is clear that he is a fantastic coach.

‘Having spoken with him and learned more about his vision and the way he wants the team to play, I am even more excited for the future. I still have major ambitions in the game, there is a huge amount that I know I can achieve, and this is the perfect place to continue my journey.’

Eriksen’s move to Old Trafford completes a quite remarkable comeback following his collapse from a cardiac arrest on the pitch at the European Championships just 13 months ago.

Eriksen becomes Erik ten Hag’s second signing since becoming Manchester United manager

The former Tottenham and Inter Milan playmaker trained with his old club Ajax – where Ten Hag was in charge – during his recovery before spending the second half of last season at Brentford.

It was enough to convince United, have a long-standing interest in Eriksen going back a number of years, that he could play again at the highest level while Ten Hag had also been impressed by what he had seen.

Eriksen chose United over a return to Brentford earlier this summer, but he had to undergo a more stringent medical due to the heart issue before he could sign as a free agent.

Eriksen impressed in the Premier League with Brentford when he arrived there in January

United’s football director John Murtough said: ‘Christian has been one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe throughout his career. It is no surprise that he had so many options this summer, so we are really happy that he was convinced that this is the right club for him.

‘In addition to his outstanding technique, Christian will add valuable experience and leadership skills to the squad, and we are looking forward to seeing the benefits of these qualities on the pitch this coming season and beyond.’

Christian Eriksen is a shrewd signing for Man United and could work well under Erik ten Hag… he has a point to prove after a poor end to his Spurs career and mixed fortunes at Inter, while added competition may inspire out-of-sorts Bruno Fernandes

BY LIAM MORGAN  

The clamour for Manchester United to sign Christian Eriksen gathered pace when Brentford visited Old Trafford in May.

While the match itself was largely meaningless and had a true end of season feel, Eriksen was arguably the best player on the park – even if his side were soundly beaten by United.

The 30-year-old showed he was still capable of playing at the top level, an incredible feat for someone who had suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch at Euro 2020, as he demonstrated his vision, wide array of passing and the ability to dictate from the middle of the pitch.

Christian Eriksen was hugely impressive when Brentford faced United at Old Trafford in May

That 90 minutes at Old Trafford was a perfect illustration of his short spell at Brentford, who he joined in January after having his contract terminated at Inter Milan in December.

Eriksen drew admirers not just for the fact he was back playing – a remarkable achievement in itself – but for the way he controlled games for Thomas Frank’s side.

It was no wonder Brentford were desperate to keep him. The Bees offered him a contract to stay in West London, but the Danish star has instead signed for Manchester United and joined Erik ten Hag’s revolution.

Here, Sportsmail looks at his potential role at United, how his arrival has been received by the fans and why he may have a point to prove.

Where will Eriksen fit in?

United have been crying out for depth in midfield for years, a need exacerbated by the departures of Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard this summer.

The signing of Eriksen gives the Red Devils another option and adds a touch of class to a much-maligned midfield unit.

Eriksen has adapted his game over time, regularly coming deeper to pick up the ball for Brentford and his passing and creativity from those areas will be an asset for United.

The Danish international suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch during Euro 2020 last summer

The Red Devils will be in the Europa League next season after failing to finish in the top four following a dismal and forgettable end to the campaign and will need all the players they can get to tackle the gruelling European schedule.

Eriksen is likely to be a squad player under Ten Hag, given Bruno Fernandes’ prominence and the possible signing of Frenkie de Jong, but he is a natural fit in the Dutchman’s preferred 4-3-3 formation when called upon.

He will provide competition to Bruno Fernandes, who perhaps needs to feel his place is under pressure if he is to recapture the form that quickly propelled him to hero status at Old Trafford.

On the other hand, Fernandes has shown his petulant side too often for many fans’ liking and there is no guarantee he reacts well to Eriksen joining the club.

It is unlikely that Eriksen will immediately dislodge the Portuguese but Fernandes will be wary that, if he fails to reach his previous heights, the Dane will be waiting to seize his opportunity.

Eriksen will provide much-needed competition to United’s playmaker Bruno Fernandes

How has the signing been received?

The majority of United fans have reacted positively to the arrival of the Dane.

Smart business and United have rarely gone together in recent years, particularly under the now-departed Ed Woodward, but there is little doubt the move for Eriksen is a shrewd one.

Some have lamented the fact that Eriksen, like so many others who have come through the door at Old Trafford, did not join the club five or 10 years ago.

‘He’ll join a long and prestigious list of players who’ve arrived at least a decade late,’ one fan wrote on Twitter.

Danny Murphy (right) insists he would be ‘underwhelmed’ by Eriksen’s (left) signing if he was a United fan

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy was not so sure about the move when he reacted to the news of a verbal agreement when it first broke. Murphy said he would be ‘underwhelmed’ if he was a United fan and said the Dane is ‘not world class’.

‘I really like Eriksen, I’ve always admired him in terms of his creativity and the way he plays his football,’ Murphy told talkSPORT.

‘He tries things, he’s good at set-plays, two good feet but would it excite me if I was a United fan? He’s going to be a squad player, isn’t he?

‘He could change a game, yes, that’s fair. He could come off the bench and change a game but is he going to bring United closer to Liverpool and City? Nowhere near it.

‘In the cold light of day, if they want to be competitive against Liverpool, City and Chelsea, or even just Liverpool and City, that’s not the type of signing United should be making.’

Why might he have a point to prove?

Eriksen was nicknamed ‘golazo’ for his tendency to score or make an assist at crucial moments and described as being the ‘brain’ of the team by former boss Mauricio Pochettino after his largely successful spell at Spurs.

He became a fan favourite at the club where he made more than 300 appearances but his last season was a difficult one to say the least.

Eriksen endured a difficult end to his Spurs career and was booed by fans for his displays

Eriksen was cast as the villain of the piece towards the end of his time in North London after saying he wanted to leave in the summer of 2019. A protracted saga followed – not of the player’s doing, it must be said – and he did not depart for Inter Milan until six months later.

Spurs fans slowly turned on their once-lauded playmaker and he was booed by sections of the club’s fans in his final three matches for their side.

His desire to embark on a new challenge, coupled with his below-par displays on the pitch, threatened to tarnish his legacy at Spurs but he is still remembered fondly and there are certainly supporters who may have wished he returned rather than sign for United.

Eriksen also endured a mixed spell at Inter after finally quitting White Hart Lane. He played 60 matches, scoring eight goals, before his stint in Italy came to a premature end following his cardiac arrest while playing for Denmark against Finland at Euro 2020.

He had struggled to make his mark with the Serie ‘A’ outfit, who were forced to terminate his contract as he would have been prohibited from playing in Italy with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator due to local health regulations.

The Dane also struggled to make his mark for Inter before they terminated his contract

What made him choose United?

Eriksen had plenty of offers on the table after shining at Brentford, where he scored one goal and made four assists in 11 appearances.

As well as United and Brentford, Everton , Leicester, West Ham and Ajax were all keen on securing his signature, while there were also rumours of interest from Spurs.

While the Dane will accept he may not be first-choice at United, the chance to play for one of the game’s biggest clubs – likely for the last time in his career – was too good to turn down.

As was the chance to work under Ten Hag, with the pair briefly crossing paths when Eriksen was at Ajax, the club Ten Hag left to take up the managerial hotseat at United, from 2010 to 2013.