Eriksen stays with Inter, but he needs to be more determined, says Conte

Martin Macdonald

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 2 min read

Inter head coach Antonio Conte has once again reiterated that Christian Eriksen will not leave the club in the January transfer window.

It was a year ago that the Dane made the switch from Tottenham to San Siro, with Spurs keen to cash in on him after he turned down a new contract.

However, due to a lack of form and a lack of opportunities, he has failed to find his best form in Italy, and has started just four games in Serie A in 2020/21.

On Tuesday he enjoyed one of his best moments in an Inter shirt when he scored an injury time free-kick against arch rivals Milan to send the club through to the next round in the Coppa Italia.

When asked after the game about the January transfer window, Conte confirmed that Eriksen would stay with the club by saying there would be no business conducted, in or out.

“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.”

Conte is of the opinion that Eriksen can be “shy” and perhaps needs to be more determined in order to succeed with the Nerazzurri.

“Christian is a very intelligent lad, he has quality, he’s part of the project and I am happy he scored that goal,” the Italian added.

“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.”

Despite disappointing in the Champions League group stage, being eliminated from Europe altogether, they are among the challengers for the Scudetto and currently sit second in the table behind Milan.