Luka Modric yet again dominates the summer transfer news, like 2011 with his proposed move to Chelsea, he’s been linked with a move away from Tottenham Hotspur, to current La Liga champions Real Madrid.
It seems Tottenham chairman, Daniel Levy, wants the £40m that Chelsea bid for the Croatian playmaker last summer, from Real Madrid this time round.
According to the latest reports around the transfer window, Levy wants straight cash for the Tottenham playmaker, with some reports suggesting that Nuri Sahin and Ricardo Carvalho could make their way to White Hart Lane, with Modric going the other way, but Levy is keeping a strong stance on this, heightened by the way Modric has reacted within the past few weeks, not turning up at the airport for Spurs pre season tour in the USA, concluding with a £80,000 fine.
If it’s anything like last seasons Modric saga, either Levy wins, and keeps an unhappy Croatian at the club for another season, or he sells him for around £35m, the fee that Real Madrid believe to be Modric’s worth.
But, what are the top 5 Transfer Sagas in recent years? The countdown starts from 5…
5. Patrick Vieira to Real Madrid.
This was a summer transfer saga for AT LEAST two years, running from 2002-2004. Vieira was at the peak of his powers for the North London club between 2000-2004, when 2002 came around, the Galacticos came a-calling. When the ultimate defensive midfielder, Claude Makelele left Real Madrid to join oil rich Chelsea, back in 2004, Real Madrid finally stepped up their pursuit and put a bid in for the Frenchman, a £30m fee, it was all going swimmingly for both Vieira and Real, until Vieira decided that his wages was not of the level of his future Galactico team-mates. Vieira had one more year with the Gunners, before leaving for Turin, to play for Serie A Giants, Juventus.
4. John Obi Mikel to Chelsea.
Not many know the tale of Nigerian’s transfer saga, but at one stage of his relatively young career, he was a Manchester United player. United had scouted Mikel at the u17 Fifa Youth World Championships in 2003. He joined Norweigan club Lyn Oslo, to be able to gain a work permit, if Manchester United came calling, eventually they did, shortly after his 18th birthday. He had his own press conference, with him holding up a Manchester United shirt, claiming he was delighted to join the club. But, wait, Chelsea then intervened, claiming they had a deal with the young Nigerian. Time passed, and Mikel turned up in London, and was interviewed, stating that he was coerced into a move to Manchester United, and wanted to join the West London club instead. The transfer fee got very messy, with FIFA having to intervene in the matter, in the end, Chelsea paid £12m to Manchester United, and £4m to Lyn.
3. Rafael van der Vaart to Valencia.
You’re not wrong in thinking, van der Vaart didn’t play for Valencia, did he? Well, he most certainly thought he signed for the La Liga side, pictured holding up a Valencia top back in 2007. Valencia put in a £14m bid to his club, Hamburg, which they believed was a few million short of their estimation for the Dutchman. Van der Vaart tried everything in the book to leave the German club for Valencia, even a ridiculous attempt at saying he hurt his back lifting his one year old son, so he couldn’t play in a Champions League tie, which meant he wouldn’t be cup-tied for his new club. Well, his proposed move to the La Liga club didn’t work out, he moved to Real Madrid a year later.
2. Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona.
Wow, this was a boooorrring saga, but an instrumental one. Player power over the power of a club. Barcelona wanted the mercurial Spaniard back, who evil Professor Wenger, snatched from them years earlier. Needless to say, Fabregas returned to his boyhood club and lived happily ever after.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid.
This saga was always going to end in one place; Madrid. Ronaldo had a stunning season in 2007-2008, when he scored 42 goals, gaining a Premier League and Champions League medal, his scintillating form alerted Real Madrid. Ronaldo desperately wanted to join the club he considered as his boyhood club, the team he supported as a kid, United stood strong for the summer of 2008, keeping their most influential player. CR7 left for the sunny shores of Spain a year later in a world record fee of £80m. He’s carried on his superb goal scoring record for Los Blancos.
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