Real Madrid look set to lose Luka Modric to Inter Milan – if the player gets his own way.
Modric emerged as a surprise transfer target of Serie A giants Inter earlier this week.
The midfielder, named Player of the Tournament at the World Cup this summer, is a key member of Real Madrid’s side.
But with Julen Lopetegui now in charge at the Bernabeu, Croatia star Modric appears keen to jump ship.
And fresh revelations in Italy have detailed how a proposed move to Inter has come about.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, it was Modric’s wife who called Inter asking if they would be keen on a deal.
Luka Modric has gone from one of 2012’s worst buys to one of Real Madrid’s most important players. George Boulton explains his rise. Modric’s ability has shone through this season as his grit and determination has helped Madrid to some narrow victories. He has also kept a cool head in the big games, resulting in him being one of Madrid’s most important players this season.
Last night Modric withdrew from the squad to play Rayo Vallecano at the last minute due to the flu. Madrid still put five past Rayo at Santiago Bernabeu. He wasn’t missed, and for a time it looked like he wouldn’t succeed in Spain.
During his first season Modric was named as the worst signing of the summer after moving to Los Blancos for €37m. He was only able to contribute three goals and three assists in the League and struggled to make his mark.
It was assumed that the diminutive Modric was supposed to fit in behind the striker. When it was suggested to play him in a deeper role, so he could be more involved at the start of moves rather than at the end, the idea was dismissed. Some observers passionately believed Modric lacked the quality and power to fulfil such a role.
It was inevitably going to be difficult for the Croatian because by the time he had joined Madrid, they had already played their second match in La Liga, leaving the 28-year-old with little time to blend in with the squad. Despite this, by the end of the season he accumulated 33 La Liga appearances, second only to Cristiano Ronaldo, but only 51.5% of those were for the full 90 minutes.
Modric insists he was never fazed. “I never considered leaving Real Madrid or that it was a mistake to come here,” he told the BBC. “People like to judge and make their own conclusions.
“I never cared what other people were saying about me – I had my aims, I believed in myself and never stopped,” Modric added. “All these critics push you forward to show people they are wrong. Maybe I look lightweight but I am a really strong person mentally and physically, and I never had any problems with my size.”
Once the season was finished he was immediately under considerable pressure after Madrid brought in Asier Illaramendi and Isco. These two bright young talents are more than capable of occupying Modric’s role and the fans were keen for them to step straight into the first team. But Carlo Ancelotti backed him from the start and played him seven of their nine pre-season games while announcing that he wouldn’t be sold.
Modric has since repaid the Coach’s faith. He is relishing his opportunity this season and has filled the gap left by the departure of Mesut Ozil. With greater responsibility, Modric has been able to display his renowned creative spark, boasting a 90% pass success rate and 41 chances created so far this season.
The former Tottenham man currently wears the No 19 shirt but supporters are crying out for him to wear the No 10 shirt next season, vacated by Ozil. It’s fitting that the player set to take the shirt is the one who made the club forget about the Arsenal-bound German.
Luka Modric might be playing very well this year, but if you cast your minds back to 2008, you might remember that Modric did not have the best of starts at White Hart Lane. In his first season at the club Tottenham won just two points from eight games. When Ramos signed the Croatian, there had been questions over how effective Modric would be in the Premier League due to his size. Luka Modric started his Tottenham career playing in the centre of Ramos’s midfield and there was no doubt about it; he looked lightweight.
The first rise of Luka Modric came when Harry Redknapp took over and moved him to the left wing. In this more attacking position his form improved and so did Tottenham’s. I remember at the time, Redknapp received a lot of praise for getting the best out of Modric. But it seems that even then, Modric’s best was still to come.
This season has seen the second rise of Luka Modric, as he returned to the middle of the midfield as a ‘deep lying play-maker’. In the second half of last season, Modric’s place on the left wing came under threat. Gareth Bale’s rapid improvement meant that he had to play on the wide left. But Redknapp was determined to fit Modric into the formation somewhere.
A benefit of Bale and Lennon is that they stretch defenders which allows room for van der Vaart, but it also exposes Tottenham to the counter attack. These days, Tottenham need two central midfielders to sit a bit deeper to offer balance to the attacking wingers. It was a stroke of genius to choose Modric as one of these deep sitting midfielders.x
Modric may have been a revelation to Tottenham back in 2009 on the left wing, but he is even more effective in his current position. When he was higher up the pitch he was marked more tightly and saw less of the ball. The benefit of him playing deeper is that he sees the ball more often, when he is on the ball Tottenham look in control. Modric might not posses the range of passing of a Huddlestone or a Gerrard, but his choice of pass is excellent. He rarely loses the ball because his touch is so good, and he has the ability to find space in even the most congested areas of midfield. These attributes, combined with his awareness and composure, make him an excellent choice for a central midfielder.
Oddly enough, I don’t think Ramos played him out of position back in 2008, he just paired him with the wrong type of player. In his first spell in central midfield, Modric played mainly with Jermaine Jenas. Jenas is an attacking-minded midfielder who likes to get forward. That did not benefit Modric who had to do more defending than he ideally would. However, this season, he has played alongside Huddlestone, Palacios and most recently Sandro. They all sit much deeper than Jenas did and look after Modric a bit more, allowing him to play in a more creative role.
With the way Tottenham play, which sometimes verges on cavalier, occasionally they need someone to slow the tempo down and just keep possession for a while. Modric does this perfectly. Maybe I am being a bit sentimental now, but I cannot think of any player in the Premier League who would do a better job for Tottenham than Luka Modric. If you can think of someone, your suggestions are welcome…