Christian Eriksen does not need Barcelona or Real Madrid move to become world-class, says John Sivebaek

Former Manchester United defender John Sivebaek thinks Tottenham playmaker Christian Eriksen does not need a move to Barcelona or Real Madrid in order to become one of the best midfielders in Europe and says the Denmark international is currently in the 'right place' at this point in his career.

Eriksen joined Tottenham from Ajax in the summer of 2013 and has since developed into one of the finest creative midfielders in the Premier League.

The 25-year-old scored eight times and provided a monumental 15 assists as Mauricio Pochettino's side finished second in England's top-flight. Sivebaek, who spent just one season at Manchester United, thinks his compatriot will be seen as one of the best midfielders in the game if he keeps progressing in the same way, whether that be at Tottenham, Barcelona or Real Madrid.

"Christian is very close to being one of the best midfielders in Europe – if not the world," Sivebaek was quoted as saying by the Daily Star. "He can do that in the next two or three years if he continues to progress the way he has done in the past few years.

"It could be at Tottenham, or it could be elsewhere. If he moves to Barcelona or Real Madrid – one of the really big-money clubs – he can go on to be one of the greats.

"I can understand the pull of a bigger club, especially the money – that is always very important. But I think he is in the right place at the moment. He is playing well every week. He is at a very good club in Tottenham and has some good team-mates and a great manager."

Barcelona are in the market for a new midfielder but are believed to be targeting Paris Saint-Germain's Marco Verratti, a player in an entirely different mould to Eriksen, who operates slightly further up the pitch.

Real Madrid have an embarrassment of midfield riches on their books at the moment, with Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Casemiro currently making up Los Blancos' engine room. A move to one of La Liga's giants is unlikely for Eriksen, who signed a long-term deal with Tottenham last season, and Pochettino will be hoping the cultured playmaker can help the Lilywhites go one further next season and secure Premier League glory for the first time in their history.