Barcelona Still Reportedly Eyeing Christian Eriksen Despite Previous Hands Off Warning

Spanish gossip website Don Balon has boldly claimed that Barcelona rate Tottenham creator Christian Eriksen higher than premier targets Philippe Coutinho and Mesut Ozil, with the Danish star allegedly the player that the Catalan giants really want.

Barça seem determined to land a midfield play-maker after missing out on Coutinho during the summer, despite making several huge bids for the Brazilian.

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It has long been thought that they would re-enter the market for Coutinho when the transfer window opens in January. But Liverpool's continued refusal to entertain a possible sale has made a successful deal extremely unlikely.

That led to speculation of interest in Ozil, a player who would be available cheaply in January as a result of his expiring Arsenal contract. The German also comes with the added bonus of being eligible to play in the Champions League after the Gunners failed to qualify for the competition.

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However truthfully, Don Balon states Eriksen is the real number one target. The report highlights the 25-year-old's 'numbers' as being better than Coutinho and Ozil in recent seasons, while also stating that, of the three, he is seen as the one who is still furthest from his full potential and therefore could offer more as a long-term investment.

There is a major problem for Barça, though, with Tottenham just as unwilling to let go of Eriksen as Liverpool have been with Coutinho.

Comments attributed to chairman Daniel Levy earlier this month suggested that the club values Eriksen at €225m (£202m) in light of Neymar's world record summer move to Paris Saint-Germain setting a new standard in the transfer market.