Christian Eriksen confirms he's ready to "try something new"

It's been an immensely disappointing few days for Tottenham Hotspur. On Saturday they played in their first ever UEFA Champions League final against Premier League rivals Liverpool in Madrid, where they went down to a 2-0 defeat.

Mauricio Pochettino's men were marginally better than their opponents in a poor game in the Spanish capital, but they couldn't find a way past Alisson between the sticks for the Reds. They also had a fair bit of bad luck after Moussa Sissoko gave away a penalty inside the first minute following a controversial handball decision which has created a lot of debate.

Losing the final was a hammer blow for Spurs but it's also a sign of just much the club has progressed under Pochettino, who's working wonders in North London. He hasn't brought any new players into the club since last January which proves just how good his coaching ability is, but he's expected to be active this summer in a bid to freshen up his squad.

The likes of Ryan Sessegnon, Jack Grealish and Giovani Lo Celso have all been linked with moves to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but they could find themselves in the market for a replacement for one of their star men - Christian Eriksen.

The Dane has been at the heart of everything positive for Tottenham since his £11.5m arrival from Ajax back in 2013. He's grown into one of the Premier League's most influential playmakers, delivering 60 assists and 49 goals in the top flight since he moved to the capital, so his influence cannot be underestimated.

There's been rumours surrounding his future throughout the season and with him now entering the final twelve months of his deal, Spurs are left with a decision to make. Do they cash in on him or do they try and tempt him to stay, which could potentially result in him leaving for absolutely nothing at the end of next season?

Pochettino will be keen to hang onto one of his prized assets but despite him entering the home straight of his contract, they could still fetch a big fee for his services. So what next?

When you think of the best midfielders currently plying their trade in the Premier League, one of the first names who immediately comes to mind is that of Christian Eriksen.

He's grown so much since moving to England six years ago, playing a crucial role for both club and country. His stats and performances are very impressive but the only thing lacking from his career is silverware, with him yet to win anything since moving to Tottenham.

A win in the Champions League final on Saturday may have perhaps convinced him to change his mind and stay in North London, but that defeat means that he now hasn't won a trophy since 2013, when he lifted the Eredivise with Ajax.

His stock has rose considerably since then and this summer with him now looking like he could be available, clubs will be queuing up to secure his signature. The likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United have all been credited with an interest in him and he would certainly improve each of their midfields.

Several top clubs around Europe are looking to spend big this year and with Eriksen entering the final year of his deal you'd think that he'd be available on the cheap, but with Daniel Levy involved in any negotiation process we all know that won't be the case. Especially with us set to see Real Madrid splash out over £100m on Eden Hazard who's in a similar situation to that of the Spurs man.

Mauricio Pochettino has feared this situation for some time it seems, with him regularly making comments to the media praising Eriksen's ability and underlying his importance to his side. He will be desperate to retain him at all costs but after the comments he made on Wednesday afternoon, it appears that his mind has been made up for a while. His contract situation really puts him in the driving seat too, with Spurs knowing that he can sign a pre-contract with foreign clubs from January, or leave for absolutely nothing in twelve months.

Many Tottenham fans won't be too surprised by this news, with some feeling that he's had his head elsewhere during stages of the season. But despite this he's still managed to deliver an excellent return of 20 goal contributions (8G 12) in just 30 starts in the Premier League last term, re-enforcing his place as one of the top flights most efficient midfielders.

But despite some of the Spurs fans expecting this news, they'll be very disappointed that one of the jewels in their crown wants to move on. Especially after making enormous strides in the Champions League, a competition in which they're now regular participants in. But after six years of excellent service, many won't be able to begrudge him too much if he feels that now is the time to try his hand at something new.

"I feel that I am at a stage in my career where I would like to try something new. I have the biggest and deepest respect for Tottenham and I'm not negative to staying. That being said, I would like to try something new". Said Eriksen when speaking to Ekstra Bladet.

Real Madrid are currently the bookmakers favourites (6/4 @ SkyBet) to sign the 27 year-old and it's a move that could certainly suffice, with Toni Kroos and Luka Modric not getting any younger. The pressure of playing for Los Blancos is enormous but the Dane has proven in the Premier League that he is a top player, so we feel that he'd certainly be able to adapt to the rigours of the Santiago Bernabeu.

It's a move that any player in the world would struggle to turn down, as Tottenham well know after losing Gareth Bale and Modric to them in recent years. And it appears that it's a move Eriksen would warm to, with him basically delivering a come and get me plea to Zinedine Zidane.

"It would be a step up. But that would mean that Real Madrid have to call Tottenham and say "we want Christian". They haven't done that yet, as far as I know"

With news of this only breaking on Wednesday, there's still a lot that has to happen for any possible transfer to come to light. Pochettino will continue to try convince him to stay along, whilst interested clubs have to try and somehow strike a deal with Daniel Levy.

It's going to be interesting to see how this one plays out, with it having all the makings of this summers transfer saga. Watch this space...