The ‘will he, won’t he’ Luka Modric saga of last summer looks to be one which will once again be rearing its ugly head during the next transfer window, as Tottenham look to step up their bid to keep the Croatian in North London. Spurs hardline approach through the pre-season calendar allowed them to keep hold of one of their prize assets, however it’s widely expected that he will become the subject of intense interest once again, and the White Hart lane club may have a tough job in keeping him this time around.
Chairman Daniel Levy is believed to be attempting to re-open negotiations with the 26-year-old hoping to secure a five-year deal between player and club. Modric however is rumoured to be waiting until the summer to decide where his future lies, with Champions League football not yet guaranteed and Harry Redknapp’s future at the club in some doubt.
Due to a stringent wage structure at the club, Spurs are believed to be offering a maximum £100,000-per-week to the midfielder, with a £3.5 million loyalty bonus. Despite this, Modric knows he is likely to be offered a much more lucrative deal from clubs such as Chelsea or either of the Manchester duo this summer, who are keen to add a player of such quality to their ranks. However, with Spurs hoping to make a continued and sustainable push to the summit of the Premier League, losing Modric would be damaging to their plans.
Players of such quality don’t come around all too often, and his abilities have been key in the Tottenham engine room, as ‘Arry has turned the club into a genuine force. So to lose him would smack as a negative statement from the North Londoners, who must do all within their power to keep Modric alongside Scott Parker in one of the finest midfield set-ups in the country. Although it may be an unpopular decision at board level to increase the basic wage offer, it could prove decisive in their ability to tie the player to the club, and even a slight increase would show Modric that Spurs’ ambitions meet his own.
If Tottenham were to lose their man, it could serve as the beginning of a slump for the club, who may subsequently find it difficult to keep the likes of Gareth Bale, should he decide to call time on his spell at the club due to a lack of ambition. As well as playing staff leaving, Redknapp himself may see any sale of Modric as an incentive to move on. Although the manager is enjoying his time in charge of the club, the vacant England role is one that interests him greatly, and if Spurs look in any way to be moving backwards, ‘Arry could be pushed over the edge.
It may go against the responsible ethos of one of the finest sides in the country, but to keep their playmaker, Spurs must spend big. It’s stick or twist time at White Hart Lane, with the future of Luka Modric likely to indicate just where Tottenham are heading.
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