Agger Wants Dortmund-Bound Eriksen

With Ajax starlet Christian Eriksen's contract running down and the player seeking a move away from the Eredivisie, speculation linking him to a handful of clubs in Europe's top leagues has rumbled along steadily since the moment January's transfer window closed.

Some might question whether Eriksen is ready to make the switch to a bigger stage, or whether in the final year of his contract he's worth the reported £17M fee, but few would deny his potential talent. Danish teammate Daniel Agger, though, believes he's ready and worth it—and that Liverpool should be in for him.

"We want to play attacking football with the ball on the ground and that is exactly what Christian Eriksen is all about," Agger told Jyllands-Posten. "That is the kind of player we need, [and] if he plays for a team who want to keep the ball on the ground, then the answer is yes [he can succeed] due to his passing, his runs, and his hard work."

However, for those hoping like Agger to see Eriksen in Liverpool this summer, the prospects seem increasingly poor. With Borussia Dortmund set to lose both Robert Lewandowski and Mario Gotze, the German club has recently overtaken English sides Liverpool and Manchesters United and City as likely places for Eriksen to land.

"Dortmund are a club where I would like to play," admitted the player in De Telegraaf, confirming a new favourite in the Eriksen sweepstakes. "I think I would be a good fit with the football there. Dortmund play nice, attacking football.

"The Bundesliga has never really been my preferred choice and a few years ago I would not even have considered it, but now I do. The competition is getting stronger and it is no coincidence the two Champions League finalists are German clubs."

While there may not be a deal in place quite yet, the main difference comes from the fact that Eriksen further revealed that Ajax, Dortmund, and his agent had all been working towards one—a step well past the speculative interest shown to him by other potential suitors.

"I know there has been contact between the two clubs, and both Ajax and Dortmund have already talked to my agent," he added. "I will consider all the clubs and quietly make a decision. I want clarity when preparing for the new season, that's the best thing for everyone."

Given this isn't the first time Eriksen has publicly spoken about his plans to leave Ajax, saying the decision will be made quietly might be a stretch. As for his chances—be it in England or Germany—former manager and Ajax star Piet Schrijvers sees a lot of parallels to Ibrahim Afellay in Eriksen's imminent departure and isn't hopeful.

"When I was interim coach of PSV in 2008, Ibrahim Afellay was approximately in the same situation as Eriksen now," said Schrijvers in an interview with NUSport. "I recommended that summer that Afellay stay at PSV for longer. He had not yet learned enough.

"Eriksen is still too inconsistent to leave now. I’m afraid for him to take such a step, especially given the physical demands at a club like Borussia Dortmund, he’d never make it there now."

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