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Arsenal offered Eriksen in cut-price deal - sources

Arsenal have been offered the chance to sign Christian Eriksen in a deal worth less than the £16.9 million Inter Milan paid Tottenham only 10 months ago, sources have told ESPN.

The 28-year-old has started 11 Serie A matches since leaving Spurs in January, after he turned down the chance to sign a new contract to seek a move away from north London.

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Eriksen signed a four-and-a-half year deal with Inter but has quickly fallen out of favour under manager Antonio Conte with the club's chief executive Giuseppe Marotta revealing they will "evaluate the situation" and "do not have to force a player to stay when he asks to leave."

Sources have told ESPN that Eriksen's availability has been widely circulated. Spurs have privately ruled out any possibility of re-signing Eriksen, with a number of Premier League clubs contacted to gauge their interest.

One of those is Arsenal, who have been informed that Eriksen would consider joining them despite spending seven years playing for their bitterest rivals.

The Gunners have struggled for creativity this season and are without a goal from open play in more than seven hours of Premier League football.

Sources have claimed Eriksen could be available for as little as £12m and that bargain price will appeal to Arsenal given they will have a modest transfer budget after activating Thomas Partey's £45m release clause in the summer, and have made a series of cuts off the field including making 55 non-playing staff redundant.

However, it remains to be seen whether Eriksen's languid style would fit Arteta's demand for high-intensity pressing and disciplined positioning from his midfielders.

This is just one reason why the club's highest earner on £350,000-a-week, Mesut Ozil, has been left out of Arsenal's Premier League and Europe League squads.

Eriksen's options at England's top clubs may be limited with Manchester United signing both Bruno Fernandes and Donny van de Beek since registering their interest. Chelsea spent £220m in the summer on six players to reform their attack, while Liverpool and Manchester City have so far shown no sign of pursuing the midfielder.

His five goals this season have all come for Denmark -- including the winning goal against England in last month's UEFA Nations League victory at Wembley -- and Eriksen has not hidden his frustration over a lack of playing time at club level.

"This isn't what I dreamed of," Eriksen said earlier this month. "It is a bit of a strange situation, as the fans want to see me playing more and so would I, but the coach has different ideas and as a player I have to respect that."

Eriksen has also been linked with AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund.