Transfer rumours often just rotate round the press in cycles, and so sometimes it can be hard to know which are made of substance and which are just column fillers.
However the idea that Modric will leave Spurs is one rumour that they just can’t shake off. These rumours have again surfaced today, but perhaps more worryingly for Spurs fans, Modric is now being linked not to Chelsea, but to Man City.
Spurs have kept a tight grip on Modric throughout all the previous interest, but is City the straw that breaks the camels back?
There are some reason why it might be.
The asking price
To fend off last summers interest Spurs made it clear early on it would take an astronomical offer to pry Modric away. This talk was enough to stop United in their tracks, and even enough to make an ‘attempting-to-break-even’ Chelsea stop and consider their bid. Chelsea started low, but gradually worked their offer up to an impressive £40 million offer. Big money for sure, but Spurs and Levy stood firm, and said that kind of money was still not enough. For an offer to be accepted it would have to be mind-blowingly, eye-meltingly, huge.
Enter Man City. City, like Chelsea, have paid lip-service to careful budgets and breaking even, but in practice have thrown around their money like a Asian business man at a strip club, or me at a retro football shirts sale. City face an important summer. Despite their growth in stature they are slipping away in the title race and are out of Europe. Mancini may feel he still needs one or two big names to cement the squad as amongst the very best. As they only need a couple of players, it means there will be more money available for them. City will also be encouraged to spend now, as if the longer the wait the more likely they will run afoul on soon to be implemented new Financial Fair play rules.
In short, City may step in and make Spurs an offer they can’t refuse.
Spurs are in flux
I, like the man himself, am bored of talking about the Harry to England question, and yet unfortunately again it rears its ugly head. ESPN says the reason Modric won’t commit to a new contract is due to him wanting confirmation on the future direction of the club.
Despite being linked with many big name managers, it is the less glamours (although talented) pair of Brendan Rogers or David Moyes that seem to be being mentioned most frequently. Are these big enough names to keep the likes of Bale and VDV at the club. Maybe. Maybe not, but we can’t blame Modric for asking the question. While Spurs future is in limbo, Modric’s future also be (but then maybe if Modric confirms his future, Spurs can confirm their future direction. But for Modric to do that, Spurs need to ….Oh my god, I’m stuck in a loop).
Glory
Sorry Spurs fans, no way around this one. It’s ugly but it’s the truth. City are more likely to win trophies next season. That’s not to say Spurs don’t have realistic ambitions of glory. Spurs may well win the FA or League next year, and will hopefully continue to improve in the League and Europe. Who knows maybe even be in the title fight. But City have a very, very good chance of winning either the Prem or the Champions League next year. Few players ever turn down that kind of opportunity.
Of course I might be, and hope I am, wrong. Spurs kept hold of Modric last year when some where reporting the move to Chelsea as good as completed. Levy is keen to prove Spurs aren’t a selling club, and there would be no better way to do it that knocking back City. But Spurs have an uphill fight to keep their creative star.
Spurs fans – how much it take for you to sell Modric? Or is no money enough?
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If they offer £50 sell i think
I may just be a biased spurs fan, but when I try to look at this objectively, I’m not so sure he would go to city. The 4-2-3-1 formation they play isn’t suited to modrics playing style. He’s not defensive enough to play as the defensive midfielder in the 2, and he’s not attacking enough to play as the out and out attacking midfielder like silva, nasri, or vdv. His position in CM is perfect, which is why he would be perfect for united, or better yet staying at spurs! Not sure united have enough cash for him though
3 reasons City won’t buy Modric.
Money. The FFP rules come in next year, Citeh will need to tighten up now, including on their astronomical wage bill.
Prospects. Modric could quite easily find himself on the bench at Citeh, or frozen out completely if the worst came to the worst, I’m sure Ade would have briefed him on that.
Glory. Spurs fared much better than City in their maiden CL campain and play a style of football well suited to European competition. City do not have a “very, very good chance of winning it”, and as long as Utd wear red, they’re not assured of winning the league either.
more chances of silver at city,for all they`re money spent they`ve got 1 trophy which we`re in a semi final for this year.Every one just loves to knock spurs,I`ve been pure THFC since i was a kid and not since the early 80s have I seen us do so well.He might have learnt his lesson with the CFC saga in the summer and levy ent letting our best go for anything.we got Luca on contract till `16 and gareth till `14.Bottom line is Levy aint selling,especially with a £400 mill stadium in the pipeline.Its buisness and they are making money and long term in the grand scale its much sounder buisness to keep them at spurs and build round them not sell our bread and butter.Everyone seems to get sucked right into every bit if media sensationalism.Man utd will win the title Tottenham will finish 3rd one place behind city and pick up a decent piece of silverware in the F.A cup-stay positive yids,we even did beter in the champions league than F***ing sh***y did for all they`re money.Oh and chelsea for thursday nights on 5 if newcastle dont get it
Personally, i’d take the £40-50m if they offered it. With £40-50 million Spurs could spend that money on another ‘classy’ winger to compliment on the right wing, Hazard for £30m maybe(im being hopeful)Bale and put some money towards affording that £20m Prolific goalstriker that spurs have lacked since Berbatov and missed heavily this season.
Llorente, Higuian or Remy maybe.
Friedel
Walker Kaboul King Ekotto
Hazard/Krasic Parker Sandro Bale
VDV
Remy/Llorente/Higuian
Modric out, RM and ST in
y would luka stay?? we r a wannabe club that flatters to deceive! We need to get a world class manager into da club to replace redkrapp n who r we being linked with? Brendan rodgers! Is this the kind of appointment that oersuades da likes of lika n bale to stay?? With reports emerging today that mourhino has signed to become city’ boss next season what is levy doing?? whats his ambitin for our club? He should b busting a gut to at least ask jose da question? Im not interested in a rodgers or a moyes if these r da level of manager levy is lookin at then he might as well rip up plams for a new stadium cos its gonna b no good havin a midtable team playin in it!!!
Were going to get this talk at every transfer window about Modric until his comtract expires.Levy should tell Man.City ‘Put up or shut up’.These arabs have more money than sence and I’m sure Levy can screw them for £60m or do a deal involving Tevez.
Hopefuly Modric is unsettled again and gets dropped, Redknap can’t complain, he tried exactly the same tactics with Demba Ba from Newcastle, what goes around comes around.