Conte Rules Out Eriksen Departure After Milan Derby Heroics
Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte has seemingly ruled out a January exit for Christian Eriksen after the Denmark international struck the winner in a 2-1 victory against AC Milan in the Coppa Italia on Tuesday.
Eriksen ended a six-and-a-half year stay with Tottenham Hotspur in January last year by joining Inter on a four-and-a-half-year deal for €20m.
The 28-year-old former Ajax Amsterdam midfielder has not been a regular fixture in Conte’s starting eleven for much of his spell in Italy.
Inter CEO Guiseppe Marotta confirmed in November that Eriksen would be transfer listed in January but a move away has not come to fruition.
Eriksen appeared off the bench two minutes to full time against the Rossoneri and struck the winner from a free-kick in the seventh minute of stoppage time to send Inter into the last four of the competition.
Conte has insisted Inter’s transfer activities in the winter are done, meaning Eriksen will be staying at the San Siro.
“For a month now I’ve been saying the same thing: this is the Inter squad," Conte told RAI Sport.
"Nobody will arrive, nobody will leave. I keep saying it and nobody seems to believe me.
“We are working with Eriksen on a tactical level to find an alternative for [Marcelo] Brozovic, because we don’t have someone like that in the squad.
“Christian is a very intelligent lad, he has quality, he’s part of the project and I am happy he scored that goal. I really wanted him to take it, as we all know the quality he has from set plays.
“He’s very shy, so I hope this goal can shake him up and make him come out of his shell. We all like him, he’s a good lad, perhaps too good! He needs to be more determined.”
