Tottenham and Levy need urgently to compromise to get Eriksen deal done

Giovani Lo Celso would already be a Tottenham player had the club found a way to offload creative midfielder Christian Eriksen. 

Daniel Levy has put the Lo Celso negotiations on hold until a decision about Eriksen is made. Eriksen, more out of necessity than desire, still belongs to Spurs.

But Tottenham won’t hesitate in selling Eriksen, who about a month ago made it clear that he’s “looking for something new,” when a suitable offer comes down the pipeline.

This untenable situation, if it perpetuates, will become an increasingly painful thorn in Tottenham’s side. Lo Celso wants dearly to join Mauricio Pochettino, and Real Betis are amenable to the sale. The prized Betis asset will cost Tottenham about £70 million, an amount Levy is willing to pay under the right circumstances.

Those circumstances, though, are predicated on selling Eriksen, whose current valuation on the open market is at least £80 million. Unfortunately Tottenham cannot afford Lo Celso without first moving Eriksen, a tricky reality for the club.

Real Madrid’s interest in the Dane is both temperamental and conflicting, while Juventus is also in the running to sign the disinterested Dane.

But how do Spurs up the ante and create more urgency to get the deal done? Levy won’t lower the asking price, nor will he sell him to a Premier League rival. He won’t sell Eriksen impetuously, as the Dane is one of the most sought after, valuable creative midfielders in Europe.

The patience needed to offload Eriksen compounds issues further. Madrid and Juventus can take a play out of Levy’s book and delay proceedings, knowing the north London club is stuck between a rock and a hard place: Spurs cannot purchase Lo Celso until Eriksen is sold, but Lo Celso, in the meantime, could be sold to another potential suitor.

If Levy doesn’t budge on the asking price, an expected outcome, Tottenham might be forced into a waiting game they can ill-afford. While Levy waits for another to concede first, the window could close on a deal for Lo Celso. That result would be the worst case scenario for Tottenham, who can’t afford to keep a listless player in the ranks, no matter how influential.

If forced to stay against his will, Eriksen’s performance level will invariably decline, potentially costing Tottenham a chance at the Premier League title. Compounding bugbears even more, Eriksen’s potential regression will also result in his market value declining, an unthinkable outcome for the money-oriented Chairman.

Lowering the asking price by £5 or £10 million, if it results in the immediate sale of Eriksen, is a tolerable compromise. I fear without compromise, the worst case scenario will become reality.