As the transfer window slammed shut at 11pm last Wednesday one of the transfer sagas of the summer finally came to an end as Luka Modric failed to complete his move across London to Chelsea. Modric had been linked with a move to Stamford Bridgeafter bids of both £22m and £27m were rejected by the Spurs board, and the Croatian was reported to have handed in an official transfer request back in July.
Despite heavy interest from Chelsea, both Redknapp and chairman Daniel Levy remained adamant throughout that their star man was not for sale at any price, and while many expected an offer ‘too good to turn down’ to be imminent, even a reported £40m be tabled by Chelsea on Tuesday night was not enough to loosen Tottenham’s grip on the midfielder.
Throughout the summer window, Redknapp insisted that the club were looking to bring in new faces and not let any of the ‘top players’, like Modric, leave the club. By the time the window closed on Wednesday night, Spurs had brought in Brad Friedel on a free transfer, Emmanuel Adebayor on loan, and Scott Parker for a reported £5m, while the likes of Peter Crouch, Wilson Palacios, Jermaine Jenas, and Alan Hutton had all completed their moves away from White Hart Lane.
After missing out on Champions League football for this season, Redknapp insisted that improvements would be made to the squad so that a top-four finish could be achieved this campaign. Comparatively, it seems Redknapp has shipped out as much talent as he has brought in to the club, and holding on to Luka Modric may prove to be crucial if they are to mount any real challenge for a place in the Champions League next season.
A look at Modric’s stats in the Premier League are sure to surprise many, especially when we consider how much Chelsea were willing to fork out for the midfielder. Since the 2009-10 season, Modric has just the five assists to his name and just six goals. For an attacking midfielder, such a record is hardly prolific and with a valuation of over £40m at Spurs, this seems somewhat bizarre.
However, what Modric does bring to the Spurs midfield is a composure and confidence on the ball that is rare in the top flight of English football. Modric proved to be influential in Spurs debut season in the Champions League last year, and showed he had the ability to perform in both the Premier League and on the European stage week-in, week-out. Such consistency would be an asset to any side, and both Redknapp and Levy were fully aware they could not afford to let their talisman join a rival club, regardless of the price.