Tottenham Hotspur are facing stiff competition in their attempts to bring Christian Eriksen back to the club this summer...

What's the word?

According to the Mirror, Premier League rivals Manchester United have entered the race to sign the Denmark playmaker, with new manager Erik ten Hag joining the north Londoners and Everton in the fight.

The 30-year-old spent seven years at Spurs before moving to Antonio Conte's Inter Milan for £17m and now could be available on a free transfer this off-season as his contract is set to expire at Brentford, who are thought to have offered him a long-term extension.

Bargain swoop

Conte and co must ensure a sensational return for Eriksen as interest starts to mount heading into next season.

The Lilywhites have suffered for creativity ever since his departure in January 2020, with club-record flops Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso, as well as Dele Alli and many more failing to step up to the mark.

None of those three players remained at the club past the recent winter transfer window, leaving the Italian head coach with very few options in the no.10 role.

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Now, Conte's current system does not cater for an out-and-out playmaker behind Harry Kane but that doesn't mean it's never an option.

And deeper in the engine room, he could do with some further creativity as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Oliver Skipp and Rodrigo Bentancur are all more defensively sound choices instead.

Eriksen still remains one of the best attacking midfielders across Europe - as per FBRef, he ranks amongst the top 1% of his positional peers for assists (0.38 per 90), expected assists (0.35 per 90), and shot-creating actions (5.08 per 90).

None of the aforementioned trio can match these returns, with Dejan Kulusevski and Kane the nearest with an xA of 0.25, also via FBRef.

“He is so special and we always call him Golazo, because he is capable of scoring unbelievable goals. The recognition from us is massive. It is true he is so quiet, so calm. He is a very relaxed person but he loves football," once claimed his former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino.

Meanwhile, also lauded as a "wizard" by journalist Josh Wright and "dangerous" by Conte himself after the two teams played out a draw earlier this season.

Considering the £13.5m-rated dynamo wouldn't cost a penny to chairman Daniel Levy, the north Londoners should be going all out for Eriksen's signature. He could be a huge addition heading into a Champions League campaign next term.

AND in other news, Conte's wish list: Gold drops "big" Spurs transfer claim, supporters will be buzzing...