Call me cynical, but this business with Mr. Modric has a very familar feeling about it. It’s almost identical to the early stages of the Berbatov saga, and before him the Carrick saga.
I don’t quite know why the press are so obsessed with cultivating a climate where they believe the only the top 4 deserve to employ best players in the league, but for 4-6 weeks now they have been craftily regurgitating snippets and mis-quotes from all involved in this particular ball-ache.
One might almost be led to believe that they are in the employ of said clubs – but surely not; that would be unethical, and ‘proper’ journo’s would do that would they?!? My worry is that when a story like this refuses to go away, there HAS to be a hidden agenda somewhere.
Whatever the case, these weeks of careful sniping and gossipmongering have finally resulted in Chelsea’s laughable bid – but the main point we should be considering here is not the figure, but the fact that the bid is the next phase of what any reasonable person can see as a not-so-subtle campaign that is only a heartbeat away from illegal “tapping up”. Yes, there may have bneen no sneaky contact and underhand promises made between Luka and his suitors, but you can’t look at all this and not consider that the outcome could well be the same.
In the coming weeks we will no doubt see that figure creep up towards, and maybe beyond the £35m mark. £35m + Drogba, tempted? What about £50m? Realists will tell you everyone has their price, and they’d be true. Imaginne for one second that they come in with £60m. Do you see Levy turning that down? I certainly don’t.
Devil’s advocate here asks you this: Would you swap Luka – who, whilst being a great player, is conspicuosly absent from any European or World Player of the Year lists at the moment – for 3 players of £20m+ calibre? After all, VDV can play that central role, then we could also go back to 4-4-2. If it happened like that it might actually make us stronger next year!
Anyway, let’s be honest with ourselves; as much as we love our super Spurs, until such point as we can convince the rest of the world that we are regular top 4 material, we’re going to have to go through this rigmarole every year. Today Modric, tomorrow Bale.
To answer my own question, Luka has to stay. I know those at the club don’t like to dcomment on specualtion, but they must see this is different. I want to see a statement on the site by the end of the week where Levy says he’s not for sale – even at £100m.
Levy needs to take a stand – not because Luka Modric is irreplacable, because to be brutal; he isn’t, but just to show us, the players and the rest of the world, that we will NOT be bullied into selling our best.
That’s worth more than 60 million pieces of silver.
21 comments:
Agreed
It's not the media dictating player moves, it's the cash, of which the top clubs pay more. And chances of trophies, of course. And £100m, you'd turn down? What about £250m? Or a new stadium - £450m? He's very, very good but everyone has a price.
JurgenJerkin
VDV in centre midfield? Absolutely ridiculous. No way could he play that role, no way. Modric will be sold, he deserves a better club than we are
Everyone is replaceable.An example - Carrick was replaced by Modric. If we get good money for him and he has a desire to move then so be it. We can look for new and better players.
You made the point early on with the parallel to the Berbatov defection. What comfort would we gain from a stern Levy statement if it will only end up with us selling out again? If he means it and sticks by it come what may then fine but don't play us for fools just because you want to screw a better deal out of Chelsea (or whoever). Do the deal and then spend the money swiftly but wisely on the bits of the team and squad that need attention. That way we might still get back into the Champions League positions (and to paraphrase Keving Keegan) I would LOVE it if it was at the expense of whoever buys our good player(s).
Mark a you a spurs fan? Deserves a better club than us? What are you talking about? Idiot
Spurs fans have an inflated view of Modric's worth. Silva joined City for 25m, and as a Chelsea supporter I'd much rather have Silva than Modric.
And Redknapp, after calling Chelsea's bid "ridiculous" is happy to see Spurs bid a miserable 4m (!!!) for Scott Parker.
People say Abramovich's money is bad for football, but he doesn't set the ludicrous prices clubs like Spurs ask. It's SPURS and the teams selling to Chelsea who want to inflate the prices, not Chelsea. And I'd say someone putting 20m+ into Spurs is a lot better for the game than some cheap Shylock putting 4m West Ham's way.
If Modders wants to leave then the club have to get the best price for him, if that is 40m then to be honest I would sell him anyway...any player has his price whoever he plays for and if and its a big IF he wants to go then he will go, I wouldn't blame the board but I think that perhaps Harry might!
Scot Parker for 4m is a joke, he is worth 2m tops.
Spurs will set a high price because idiot clubs like Chelsea will pay it.
Man utd paid over the odds for Carrick and Berbatov, Chelsea paid over the odds for Torres, need I go on??
It's very simple - he's not for sale - end of story .Now move on to a worthwhile story!
Welll, it's not just Spurs who need to take a stand. When are the pitiful footballing authorities like the F.A. and U.E.F.A. going to stop these cxxx clubs thinking they are entitled to win(buy) every title and honour? Every time a player outside these cxxx clubs shines for another team, the same sxxx happens, like here with this Russian thing's toy that used to be a football club with some history and tradition and respect.
And it's not Championship football that's the draw-card, either, it's the signing of a cheque that trebles a player's wages overnight.
The lowest common denominator on Earth is what governs this once great sport today.
No Anon, he IS for sale, everyone is for sale. Its just a question of price. If someone wants t ofer silly money - and by that I mean £40m+ then I think you can assume it will be a done deal.
I agree that we have seen this kind of manipulation before. And if you consider the transfers of Carrick and Berbatov it is hard not to see the Red's media connections behind its orchestration.
Ironically, however,if Modric is unsettled by it all, it is likely that Chelsea or Man City would benefit as they can easily outbid Man Utd. I am sure that Man Utd would much rather see Modric stayiong at Spurs rather than going to their rivals.
As to the ethics of journalists --lets not go there!!!
Push for 40 milion him then get VDV to speak nicely to wesley sneijder those two in the middle, Azza and Bale either side would be sexual!!
Ridiculous, he's worth a lot more to us than any potential sale price banded about, and he kernel to our team - it would be viciously hard to replace him..
If he is the pistons to the engine that will drive us into the CL again, then that will bring in £40million alone, his price to bring him to the Lane was around £15mill, the ate receipts of people who wanna come and see him etc etc go figure..
This site sucks.. Really poor Spurs site - especially Chelski fans coming on here calling our management 'Shylock', for not having an infinite amount of dosh to spend on overrated celebs like Torres..
Arry made it clear Modric is not for sale. You cannot sell your best player to a rival team. It will make them stronger and your team weaker. Modric is a proven PL player, not easy to replace even with 40M. We get 2 amazing strikers for next season and Modric will excel. DO NOT SELL even at 40M+!!!
WE MUST NOT SELL OUR BEST PLAYERS! WE MUST ADD QUALITY TO OUR SQUAD AND CHELSKI, ARSENAL WILL BE WORRIED!!!
Indeed £40m to spend on who?
Modders will stay cos Levy is a ledge as is that "Shylock" Harry.
Just cant wait to see who we get in up top. No chance of any of our best players being sold whilst we are in our strongest position to push on and join the prems elite, even if that is a six club elite, who knows what the order will be. If we imporve our squad we can can beat the likes of Utd with their average players. I know, i know they are champs but only becouse they play as a team. but with our squad (everyone admits how good it is) maybee we can mix it up again and boot the gooners and chelski outm, of the top four, liverpool might be a different matter, i think they'll be a bit handy this year.
if 3 of the top 4 want him then there is a fair chance that they believe they can win the premiership with him rather than without him. For Spurs to sell would show a lack of motivation ourselves for winning the title which in the current climate is a possibility with a small change in players and a decent run without distractions of fa cup, CL and league cup. Yes weve been here with berbatov and carrick and now look at them - top goalscorer and on his way out of man u. Modric has to appreciate hes big in our team, but in another he may warm the bench even for £40M.
vdv can no way replace modric in the middle and vdv is the reason why we cant play 442 i believe modric is the only player that is ireplaceable in our squad everything happens through him i hope he stays money aint the issue here levy know what modric means to the team and unless modric ask for a tranfer levy wont sell him coz he know harry wont be able to find a replacement
No-one's irreplaceable but what irks me is the way he's gone back on his word - a few weeks he wanted Bale to stay so that 'we could build something special' and challege for the "champions" league again next season, and yet now he's changed his mind because of the media scrum. I'd say if he wants out, get him sold quick and find someone who's happy to be at Spurs for at least the immediate future. He's only scored 3 goals and 2 assists according to OPTA, and although he's a good passer, that's not a massive return by anyone's standards - certainly not irreplaceable. Sandro, Hudd and possibly Scott Parker could be just as good if not better.
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