By Greg Stobart
Luka Modric was so desperate to secure his 'dream' move to Chelsea during the summer that he effectively went on strike, telling Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp that has head was not in the right place to play.
The Croatian missed the club's Premier League opener against Manchester United and then tried to pull out of the second game of the season, against Manchester City, just hours before kick-off. In various interviews, Modric spoke of his desire to leave Tottenham for Chelsea, engaging in a public spat with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy in an attempt to force a move from White Hart Lane.
Yet Tottenham stood firm, rejected Chelsea bids ranging from £22 million to £40m, forcing Modric to honour his the six-year contract he signed in 2010. On Thursday night, he will line up against the midfield he so wanted to join when Chelsea visit White Hart Lane in a clash that could have a major effect on the battle for a top four finish.
Third-placed Spurs currently sit two points ahead of Chelsea in the Premier League with a game in hand. Modric has played a significant part in his side's stunning form and has re-established his reputation as the club's best and most important player.
Not for nothing did Chelsea bid such a huge amount for the 26-year-old and relentlessly pursue his signature despite Levy's public insistence that Tottenham's star man would not be sold 'at any price'. So confident were the Blues of signing Modric – with whom they had privately agreed a contract worth £130,000 a week – that only in the final week of the transfer window did they begin to consider alternatives before signing Raul Meireles from Liverpool.
Given the choice, Modric would be Chelsea's number one target for the January transfer window and even though their pursuit of the former Dinamo Zagreb man is temporarily on hold, Blues manager Andre Villas-Boas described him on Wednesday as 'one of the greatest talents in the world, a player who will have tremendous success'.
Staying put | Redknapp insists Chelsea have 'no chance' of signing Modric in January
Chelsea will continue to closely monitor Modric's situation at Spurs and are unlikely to concede defeat until the playmaker signs a new contract or they sign another midfielder, such as Everton's Jack Rodwell or Joao Moutinho of Porto.
Yet the Blues are more likely to take heed of Redknapp's warning this week that they have 'no chance' of signing Modric in the new year. 'No matter what Chelsea offer he isn’t going, not a chance,' Redknapp said. 'I don’t think the chairman would accept any offer. We are looking to keep pushing on as we’ve been on a great run and we are bang in there.'
Spurs mean it, once again, and any any renewed attempts by Chelsea will be firmly rebuffed. The Blues would be wasting their time in January - but then again they did the same in the summer.
In truth, it is down to Levy, rather than Redknapp, that Modric is still at Spurs and has played such a key role in the team taking 34 points from their 15 games so far this season. Redknapp did not want to keep an unhappy player – although he frequently described Modric as 'as good as gold' – and publicly suggested Levy should back down and sell his prized asset.
'I put myself in a position where I could have caused myself a problem with the club, in all honesty, because I said what I felt,' Redknapp said. 'I came out and said I could understand where he was coming from. I could understand. It’s difficult, isn’t it?'
HOW MODRIC COMPARES WITH HIS MIDFIELD RIVALS AT CHELSEA
MODRIC
LAMPARDMEIRELESROMEU
GAMES
13
15
14
7
MINUTES PLAYED
11451133
737
346
GOALS1
74
0ASSISTS
24
30
CHANCES CREATED
28
3319
4TOTAL PASSES
COMPLETION RATE
838
86.9%811
86.7%
456
82.5%245
91.8%
FINAL THIRD PASSES
COMPLETION RATE
344
83.7%331
97.9%165
73.3%43
74.4%ATTEMPTED RUNS
SUCCESS RATE
35
60%6
50%1
0%1
100%ATTEMPTED TACKLES
SUCCESS RATE
26
73.1%30
80%16
75%17
82.4%INTERCEPTIONS
2415
1413
FOULS SUFFERED
24
67
4
In siding with Modric, though, Redknapp, a master in man management, was able to play good cop to Levy's bad cop and subsequently screw Modric's head back on to the extent that he looks happy and comfortable in a Spurs shirt.
Modric, who cost Spurs £16.5m when he signed from Dinamo Zagreb in 2008, is in talks over a new contract that would make him the first player in the club's history to earn more than £100,000 a week. Since the summer window slammed shut, the lack of any public comment about his flirtation with Chelsea, or his future, has been conspicuous by its absence.
It may well be that Modric's future could yet come down to cold, hard cash. The player and his advisers are reportedly waiting until the end of the season before committing to a new deal as they want to make sure Spurs qualify for the Champions League and assurances over the club's plans should Redknapp be appointed Fabio Capello's successor as England manager.
He will also know that Sir Alex Ferguson is a huge admirer and made an enquiry in May. The Scot has publicly praised Modric on a number of occasions and selected him as his player of the season last term. With Manchester United looking weak in midfield, a summer bid for Modric could become a realistic possibility.
But for now, the diminutive schemer is focused on Tottenham. Modric could well reflect that Levy did him a favour during the summer. While Chelsea have looked like a fractured squad in transition this season, Spurs look like a team on the up. There is a feeling that a genuine title challenge is not beyond the north London club next season should they manage to hold on to the likes Modric, Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart.
Tottenham are playing with no fear, an attacking creativity increasingly matched by defensive discipline and a winning mentality. Thursday's clash against their London rivals will provide the latest barometer of the club's progress, although Spurs' chances will be significantly dented if Bale, Emmanuel Adabayor and Ledley King miss out through injury. All three are severe doubts for the clash while Jermain Defoe and Aaron Lennon are definitely out.
Whatever team Tottenham field, Modric will be at its heart, constantly demanding the ball and pulling the strings with his creative passing, incisive dribbling and tireless work-rate. Tottenham will be more glad than ever that they won their battle to keep Modric in the summer – and the player himself may now be able to dream of achieving success in a Spurs shirt.
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