Eriksen arrival is a coup for Inter, says Conte
Christian Eriksen's decision to choose Inter Milan over a host of other European giants is proof the club is on the right track, according to head coach Antonio Conte.
Eriksen completed a move from Tottenham Hotspur to Inter on Wednesday (AEDT), becoming the Serie A club's third addition of the January window after Ashley Young and Victor Moses.
He was brought on as a substitute with 24 minutes remaining in Thursday's (AEDT) Coppa Italia quarter-final and is in contention to make his first start in the Serie A visit to Udinese on Monday (AEDT).
Conte says Eriksen was courted by a number of other clubs, and he believes the Dane's decision to move to Inter is evidence of the club's status as one of Europe's most attractive propositions.
"Eriksen was a great coup for this club as he had so many options to choose from and he chose Inter," Conte said.
"That proves Inter are seen the right way and we are all working to ensure the brand maintains this lustre.
"Eriksen hasn't been playing very much lately for Spurs, but all told, he is in decent physical shape and is starting to get into our ideas of football.
"We talked to him a great deal, so he understands what we want from him and fortunately he is a quick learner."
Asked if the arrivals of Eriksen, Young and Moses will give Inter enough to win the Scudetto, Conte said: "Time will tell. I am happy to work with these players, but they still need to learn the style of football and the language.
"When the intensive period of the fixture list begins, all we can do is cross our fingers and hope there are no injuries.
"You all saw what happened in the first five months, as there were players forced to play every three days. I hope to have more options to choose and rotate."
Lautaro Martinez will miss the visit to Udinese as he starts a two-match ban, with Conte confirming 17-year-old Sebastiano Esposito or Alexis Sanchez will partner Romelu Lukaku in attack.
"Lautaro is a big miss, considering his strong rapport with Romelu Lukaku," Conte added. "It's an opportunity for those who haven't played as much to make the most of the situation. Either Sebastiano Esposito or Alexis Sanchez will start.
"Marcelo Brozovic had his first training session with us yesterday and is coming to Udine, then we'll evaluate his fitness there.
"I expect a tough game, as Udinese are a very physical side with strong quality too. It'll be a hard match, as they all are in Serie A."
