Luka Modric: Firmly on Chelseas radar this summerLuka Modric is hardly a new name to be linked with Chelsea. The last two transfer-windows, the newspapers have been plagued with figures, contracts, and supposed deals between the two,
In fact, last summer, some sources suggested he had already had a medical, but alas, he remains a Tottenham player, for now.
Spurs bid for Champions League football may be more important that just a stab at the big guns next season, as Daniel Levy may well have his work cut out persuading the likes of Modric, Bale, and Van Der Vaart to have a crack at the Europa League, or possibly not even that.
Bids of reportedly up to £50m were rejected in the summer, but should Chelsea pip Spurs to a European spot, I can imagine that figure would drop to around £40m, despite the fact that Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, has been shouting from the rooftops about how much he will spend this summer.
The 26 year-old playmaker has had a great few seasons in London, after his £16m move from Dinamo Zagreb in the summer of ’08. He has been at the hub of Tottenham’s midfield, playing 120 games, scoring 12 goals. Add the talents of Bale, Van Der Vaart and Parker, and you can see why they have been such a force this season.
However, Modric spoke of his ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ with Daniel Levy that if a “big” club did come in for him, he could well choose to leave. In fact, he didn’t play in Spurs opening defeat to Man Utd, as it was cited his head was “all over the place” as he continued to look for a move across London.
Last years player-of-the-season didn’t get his move, but I fully expect Chelsea to wrap up their Champions League place, and sign their man. With Essien, Romeu, and Ramires covering the defensive side of midfield, super-blue Frank Lampard has held a lot of weight on his shoulders this season, as Meireles, Mikel and Malouda have showed little spark.
Player Rating : 8 – Shown his worth already in the Premier League for 3 years
Need for Midfielder: 9 – Need someone to give Sir Frank a break
Value For Money? : 8 – Probably have to pay over the odds, but desperately need him. Only 26 too.
Modric Rating : 25/30
By Brad Smith