Frank hopes offer of regular game time will help Bees keep Eriksen
Thomas Frank believes the offer of regular first-team football could help to persuade Christian Eriksen to stay at Brentford beyond the summer.
The 30-year-old joined the club in January on a short-term deal until the end of the season.
Competition for Eriksen’s signature is expected to be fierce when his initial deal with Brentford runs out, and while Frank admits that the club will not be able to compete with others financially, he hopes consistent game time could give them an edge.
“Obviously for money and Champions League then we can’t compete. I know that Christian, at this moment in time, enjoys his football. I’m happy that he’s enjoying playing here,” Frank said.
“Hopefully he likes the environment and the atmosphere we have in the club and I hope he chooses us in the end because he is ambitious and wants to end as high as possible and push himself and the team.
“He has a big role here. These days it’s never a one-man band, even with Man City it’s not just De Bruyne even though he’s the main playmaker, so we need more than one player but of course there’s a lot of things that will go through Christian.
“Of course I’m speaking to Christian and of course I do what I can to tell him how fantastic it is at Brentford but ultimately it’s down to him.
“But I think, obviously, if he stays here it’s as sure as you can be, because there’s nothing you can promise in football, that most likely there will be a lot of 90-minute games.”
Eriksen has quickly readjusted to life back in the Premier League on his return to football after suffering a cardiac arrest at last summer’s European Championships, with the Bees having won every game that he has started since his arrival.
On Saturday the midfielder will come up against former club Tottenham for the first time since his return to professional football.
Ahead of the game, Spurs boss Antonio Conte – who also managed Eriksen at Inter Milan – did not rule out a future reunion with the Danish international and admitted his surprise at how quickly he has re-adapted to the Premier League.
But while Frank does expect there to be competition for his signature this summer, he believes the rumours surrounding his future have been inflated.
“Let me put it this way, if he wants to play Champions League then it’s pretty important that we beat them, then they have a lesser chance of getting into the Champions League,” Frank joked.
“But honestly I think it doesn’t matter whatever we do or do in this season. I think it’s down to other things.
“But there’s a lot of, I can’t swear, but there’s a lot of strange things and rumours out there.
“One thing is for sure – if it’s true that all the clubs that are said to be interested in him I think I will not believe that. I think there is a lot of clubs but it seems like every club in Europe wants to sign him.”
