It was a scary moment during Euro 2020 when Christian Eriksen collapsed due to a cardiac arrest during Denmark’s match with Finland. With the swift medical attention he received and the insertion of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, Eriksen was able to make a full recovery. He wants to return to the pitch, and it looks like he’ll get the chance to do so in the Premier League as Eriksen completed a move to Brentford on Monday.
Eriksen has signed a six-month deal with Brentford to help elevate their midfield. While it was a drawn out medical process, he did receive a clean bill of health to return to Premier League play. The transfer was completed with Eriksen still in the Netherlands as he just received his COVID vaccination but he’s expected to report to the team next week.
Inter Milan and Eriksen parted ways by mutual consent (Serie A does not allow the use of implantable cardioverter defibrillators), so that he could find somewhere to play on a free transfer. After training with Ajax to regain fitness, Eriksen has found his place and it comes with a familiar face in his former U-17 national team manager Thomas Frank.
“At his best, Christian has the ability to dictate games of football. He can find the right passes and is a goal threat. He also has very, very good set piece delivery, both from corners and direct free kicks,” Frank said in a statement. “He is a player you can find with the ball, and he will come up with a solution to the problem in front of him. Christian will also bring experience of top level football to the Club. I expect him to have an impact in the dressing room and at the Training Ground.”
If he can regain even half of his Tottenham form, Eriksen will be a coup of a signing for Brentford. Over 226 appearances with Spurs, Eriksen scored 51 goals while providing 62 assists including being a threat from set plays. Things did decline during his final season with Spurs where he only started 10 matches before moving to Inter and over the past three seasons.
For a Brentford team among the lowest goal scorers in the Premier League with only 26 goals in 23 matches played, these are the type of risks that they need to take in the transfer market. Taking the time to get Eriksen up to speed is something that they can afford being well out of the relegation race and with only a six-month commitment up front there is minimal risk.
This is a move that many around soccer will be rooting for to work out only adding to the good feelings around Brentford’s first season in the Premier League.
