Eriksen admits Man Utd exit with 'three-year deal at European giants lined up'

Christian Eriksen has reportedly already been offered a contract by Ajax as he comes towards the end of his time at Manchester United.

Eriksen’s contract with United is set to expire at the end of June and it appears unlikely they will offer him a new deal. The Denmark international signed a three-year contract when he joined United from Brentford in July 2022.

He endured a frustrating 2023/24 campaign, making just 12 starts in the Premier League, and was linked with an exit over the summer. The 32-year-old midfielder stayed put and has made a decent start to the 2024/25 campaign, contributing three goals and three assists in eight appearances so far.

But the takeover by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS group has put his long-term future at the club in doubt, with the new executive team reluctant to invest in ageing players. Eriksen confirmed this week that he is yet to discuss a contract extension and The Sun says he could be moving back to Ajax when his deal expires on June 30.

Eriksen began his career in Amsterdam and made 163 appearances for Ajax before leaving for Tottenham in 2013. The report states that Ajax want to get a deal sorted in January, when Eriksen will be able to speak to other clubs as free agency approaches, but he will remain with United for the remainder of the season.

The Dutch giants would reportedly be willing to hand Eriksen a three-year contract – a deal which could potentially take him up to retirement. They aren’t the only interested party, though, with Saudi Arabian clubs keeping an eye on the situation.

The United midfielder has been open about his situation, which he explained to Bold while on international duty with Denmark, ahead of their Nations League game with Spain on Saturday. "No, we are not there at the moment [talks about staying put],” he said. "I have one year left, and then we can have another conversation next year when you stand in a different place."

Eriksen was linked with Anderlecht, among other clubs, in the summer, but ended up staying. "I had no thoughts about moving on," he said. "And I didn't hear from the club that they wanted to sell me or that I had to leave.

“I really just felt that the family and I were doing really well. If something really exciting came along, or something where I really felt: 'I want to try this,' then fair enough, but it wasn't something that I had to leave."

He added: "I'm not going to sit and comment on what happened this summer and who I talked to and didn't talk to. It's not something that comes into play now anyway. I look ahead and focus on United."