Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has insisted that Spurs midfielder Christian Eriksen is happy at the club and remains important for the team.
Eriksen, who has just one year remaining on his contract with the Premier League side, was heavily linked with a move away from the club in the summer, with Real Madrid and Manchester United linked with him.
However, it became almost certain that the former Ajax man would be staying at Tottenham when he played the full 90 minutes in the north London derby against Arsenal just one day before the European transfer window slammed shut last week.
Spurs boss Pochettino, who is still receiving questions regarding the 27-year-old's future, has stressed that Eriksen is still an important player and will play games if he deserves to, with his contract having no role in it.
? Mauricio joined a number of famous faces at the annual @BGCCharityDay to help raise money for @NoahsArkHospice. ?#THFC ⚪️ #COYS
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) September 12, 2019
The Argentine tactician played down suggestions that the Danish international is not happy at the club and insisted Eriksen never said he was unhappy.
"He’s happy. He was always happy. He never said he wasn’t happy here", Pochettino told a press conference.
"Everyone of course has aims, goals, challenges. I told you before the Arsenal game he was in his right mind and that’s why I played him.
"Always he was an important player for us.
"In our sixth season, we’ve always appreciated him a lot.
"His qualities are there and important for the team.
"He’s happy and if we believe he deserves to play then he’s going to play.
"It’s not because he has less than one year on his contract we’re going to take a different decision.
"All decisions are based on performance."
Tottenham, who sit ninth in the league, will be looking to get back to winning ways when they host Crystal Palace this weekend.
Whether Eriksen will start or not remains to seen, however.