Manchester United confirmed that Christian Eriksen had become their second signing of the summer transfer window on Friday, with the midfielder officially joining the club on a three-year contract.
Eriksen has followed Tyrell Malacia to Old Trafford, with the latter arriving from Feyenoord, and he has already made two appearances for the Red Devils on their pre-season tour, playing the second half of both Tuesday's 4-0 win over Liverpool and Friday's 4-1 victory over Melbourne Victory.
It had initially been thought that the Denmark international would make the trip to Australia for the team's final two friendlies of their tour against Crystal Palace and Aston Villa.
However, according to various reports, Man United do not believe that it would be suitable to put the new signing on a long-haul flight to Australia when the team only have two more games to play and will soon head back to Europe for their final two friendlies of the summer.
As a result, Eriksen is expected to report to Carrington next week to begin training, with his debut for the Red Devils potentially coming against Atletico Madrid in Oslo on July 30.
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Just over 24 hours later, Man United will be back at Old Trafford to take on Rayo Vallecano, with the match set to mark Erik ten Hag's first home game in charge of the club.
Ten Hag will again make full use of his squad for the two friendlies, and there is a chance that Eriksen could feature in both games, potentially playing half each, as he builds his fitness for the new campaign.
Speaking to the club's official website, Eriksen said: "Manchester United is a special club, and I cannot wait to get started. I have had the privilege of playing at Old Trafford many times but to do it in the red shirt of United will be an amazing feeling.
"I have seen Erik [ten Hag]'s work at Ajax and know the level of detail and preparation that he and his staff put into every day. It is clear that he is a fantastic coach. Having spoken with him and learned more about his vision and the way he wants the team to play, I am even more excited for the future.
"I still have major ambitions in the game, there is a huge amount that I know I can achieve, and this is the perfect place to continue my journey."
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Fitness permitting, Eriksen should be in the squad for Man United's Premier League opener against Brighton & Hove Albion on August 7, while at least one more new player should also be at the club by that point.
Indeed, Lisandro Martinez is on the verge of completing a move from Ajax, with the Argentina international travelling to Manchester alongside his agents on Friday night.
The Red Devils are expected to pay in the region of £45m for the centre-back, who excelled under Ten Hag in Amsterdam.
Martinez will also not be heading out to Australia, with the South American potentially training alongside Eriksen at Carrington once his move has been officially confirmed by both parties.
As a result, the defender could also make his debut for the 20-time English champions against Atletico on July 30 before potentially also playing a part against Rayo Vallecano 24 hours later.
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Man United are currently well-stocked in the middle of their defence, with Martinez set to join Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Eric Bailly and Axel Tuanzebe at Old Trafford.
Varane, Lindelof and Maguire are all expected to stay at the club this summer, but Jones, Bailly and Tuanzebe are all believed to be available for transfer.
Jones and Tuanzebe are not with the Man United squad in Australia amid the speculation surrounding their futures, but Bailly has played in both of the team's pre-season games against Liverpool and Melbourne Victory.
There have been suggestions that Ten Hag is considering using Martinez as a central midfielder, with the 24-year-old operating in that position before moving to Ajax.
At 5ft 9in, he would be one of the smallest centre-backs to ever play in the Premier League.
Man United are yet to confirm Martinez's arrival, but it is believed that the deal is on the verge of going through, with a statement on the Argentine potentially arriving before the end of the weekend.
Matt Law
