The Portugues tactician José Mourinho has admitted that Christian Eriksen played for Tottenham this season “with the limitations of somebody that wants to leave”, adding that the midfielder was not himself in certain games. Mourinho praised Eriksen for his professionalism and the respect he showed to his teammates but conceded that the situation meant he lacked 100 percent motivation.
Eriksen had been intent on running his contract into its final year to gain greater control over his next move, and Mourinho felt the chairman, Daniel Levy, had done well to raise €20 million for a player who would have been available for nothing in the summer.
Spurs have reinvested the money in 22-year-old winger Steven Bergwijn from PSV Eindhoven for an initial €30 million. He is in the squad for Sunday’s Premier League visit of Manchester City.
“We didn’t tell because of a moral agreement with Christian, but from the first day I arrived [last November] he told me he was not going to sign,” Mourinho said.
“So then it was for me and Mr Levy to manage the situation – for me to have a player without great motivation but still a good sense of professionalism and respect for the club. And Mr Levy, on the business side, managed to do a great deal with six months left on the contract.
“I tried to persuade Toby [Alderweireld] when Toby told me he was having some doubts [about resigning] but Christian told me the decision was made and no way. From that moment, I was just trying to build the team without him. That was the reason why I didn’t play him many, many times.
“At the same time I knew Christian with some limitations – there are always limitations with a player in his situation – would try until his last day to help the team.
“Christian was a good guy in the dressing room, with the limitations of somebody that wants to leave. You could feel in some matches he was not Christian. We were happy to have him here until the end of the season.
“Christian would always give us some of his talent until the end of the season. But then it becomes about the future of the team, and the future of the team needs the deal that Mr Levy made.”
Tottenham Hotspurs reinvested the funds received from Eriksen’s sale into signing Netherlands international Steven Bergwijn from PSV, while Gedson Fernandes came in on an 18-month loan from SL Benfica earlier in the window.
However, the club – who also allowed Danny Rose to leave on loan to Newcastle United – reportedly failed in a late bid to bring in striker Eran Zahavi from Guangzhou R&F to help ease the strain caused by Harry Kane’s hamstring injury.
