Transfer talk: Tottenham’s Eriksen set for Inter Milan move

Dubai: Christian Eriksen looks to finally be on his way out of Tottenham Hotspur.

The midfielder has been trying to engineer a departure from the London club since last summer when he was unwilling to sign a new contract, and now it seems Inter Milan have made a cut-price offer of £20 million for the Dane, with Spurs owner Dan Levy keen to cash in rather than let Eriksen walk away for free in the summer.

According to reports in the UK, the Serie A leaders have approached Spurs with their offer after chief executive Giuseppe Marotta pinpointed the playmaker as a long-term addition to their midfield, rather than go after Barcelona’s Arturo Vidal — the man coach Antonio Conte was after.

Vidal is 32 and would cost more than Eriksen, but if Marotta were to overrule Conte — who is well known for fighting with his chairmen over preferred transfer targets — it may bring unwanted tensions to the club, who are bidding to halt Juventus from winning their ninth consecutive Italian league title.

Jose Mourinho and Spurs are lining up Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Lemar as a replacement, initially offering to take the Frenchman on loan, with a €60 million buyout clause.

France international Lemar has reportedly fallen out of favour with Atletico coach Diego Simeone and is keen to move on with Euro 2020 coming up. Arsenal are also interested in his services.

Another Tottenham player in the spotlight is England midfielder Harry Winks, who is on the radar of both Manchester clubs. City are looking for long-term investments with David Silva leaving in the summer and Fernandinho now 34. United are desperate for a stable force in the middle of the field with Paul Pogba on the injury list and question marks over his future at the club.

Despite being only 23, Winks had been impressive for Spurs under Mauricio Pochettino last season, but has since fallen down the pecking order under Mourinho and will want to move on to keep his place in the England squad for the European Championships this summer.

United are also rumoured to be after Paris St-Germain forward Edinson Cavani. It is widely thought the Uruguayan will head to Atletico, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and United are said to be assembling a last-ditch bid to sway his decision and lure him to Old Trafford rather than Madrid.

Despite Pep Guardiola’s protests that City will not be shopping in the transfer market, it seems they are also in the market for a defender to help bolster their injury-hit back four.

Scouts have been monitoring Inter Milan’s Milan Skriniar, but they will face stiff competition from Barcelona and Real Madrid for his services.

The 24-year-old Slovak is quickly developing a reputation as one of the best defenders in Europe and would be seen as a great investment should City secure his signature.

With Aymeric Laporte set to return to match fitness by the end of the month, City could once again have a solid backline for the second half of the season.