Christian Eriksen and Tottenham Hotspur are stuck in contract negotiation limbo

Tottenham Hotspur have been fairly active in the transfer window, but the belief is that their biggest transfers are complete, save for the N'Koudou saga, heading into the season opener tomorrow against Everton. All that seems to be left is selling players that aren't in Poch's plans and re-signing players to new deals.

Christian Eriksen, who is one of the remaining three players from the fabled "Bale Seven" has been in negotiations with the club for a few months now. While there's been little news on the status of those contract talks, Eriksen's interviews that he's done have seemed positive and it was just a matter of time before getting the deal done. That viewpoint may change a bit, if The Telegraph are to be believed.

According to the London-based outlet, Eriksen's agent is wanting to make the Danish International Tottenham's highest paid player by a wide margin. The excerpts from the article below tell the story:

Christian Eriksen’s contract impasse with Tottenham Hotspur came about after the Dane’s agent demanded £150,000 a week for his client to sign a new deal.

Eriksen goes into the new season with two years remaining on a contract that is worth just £32,000 a week, with Spurs still hoping to agree an extension on new terms.

But negotiations were complicated when Eriksen’s agent stunned Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy by asking for £150,000 a week – almost double what the club’s highest earner, goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, is paid.

Eriksen is definitely due a raise, given that he's still on his original deal after Spurs signed him from Ajax in the Summer of 2013. However, we know that Spurs have a wage structure that Daniel Levy refuses to break, and if Eriksen is serious about this wage demand, then there could be a serious problem.

Juventus have been interested in Eriksen for some time and would be prepared to vastly increase his salary, while Inter Milan’s new manager, Frank de Boer, is a big fan of the 24-year-old having worked with him at Ajax...

...Other than Eriksen, Tottenham are yet to agree contract extensions with Jan Vertonghen and Erik Lamela, whose present deals also expire in 2018. Spurs remain hopeful all three players will commit to the club and have agreed a new £70,000-a-week contract with Eric Dier that keeps the midfielder at White Hart Lane until 2021.

Eriksen is entering the prime of his career at 24-years-old and has proven to be one of the most valuable parts of Tottenham's attack. With Kane, Lamela, and Alli, Spurs were one of the best attacking teams last season.

There are a few ways to look at this situation and respond accordingly:

First, this is purely a negotiation tactic by Eriksen's agent. Aim high with a big amount and negotiate down to a wage that both parties are happy with. There is plenty of interest in Eriksen, as noted above, and with two years remaining on his deal, the power isn't all with Tottenham. This is the most likely scenario and, while it won't exactly settle well with supporters, this is business.

Second, Eriksen wants to leave and the easiest way to try and force that is create an impasse with negotiations by demanding a wage that both he and his agent know Tottenham are not willing to pay. Levy may feel compelled to get the most that he can from the player in a sale with there still being three weeks left in the window to perhaps find a replacement. This is less likely, but not outlandish to believe.

The bottom line is this: Eriksen wants to be paid more and he absolutely deserves it. The amount in which he should be paid, however, is what's in question. We haven't heard the end of this and here's hoping the two parties can sit down and figure out a number in the middle that all parties are fine with getting.