Report: Tottenham's Eriksen stalling on latest contract offer

Tottenham playmaker Christian Eriksen, whose contract expires in 18 months, hasn't yet responded to the club's latest offer, according to the Evening Standard's Dan Kilpatrick.

Although there's still optimism Eriksen will agree to a long-term deal, the delay is causing Tottenham to sweat. Barcelona and Real Madrid remain interested in the 26-year-old, Kilpatrick reports, with Los Blancos ready to table a more lucrative offer.

Eriksen is said to be earning £75,000 a week on his current deal - half of teammate Dele Alli's salary and well below the competitive rate for players of Eriksen's caliber.

Tottenham broke their wage cape to sign Alli, Heung-Min Son, Erik Lamela, and Harry Kane to new long-term contracts in 2018. It remains to be seen whether there's enough cash left to keep Eriksen, Jan Vertonghen, and Toby Alderweireld, whose contracts all run out in 2020.

However, manager Mauricio Pochettino insisted he's not concerned about Eriksen's situation.

"The phrase is, 'No news is good news,'" Pochettino said on New Year's Day, according to Omnisport.

Eriksen underscored his importance to the club with four goals across his last six matches, including a sharp finish in Tottenham's 3-0 win over Cardiff City.