Chelsea fail with £22m bid for Spurs ace Modric
CHELSEA have seen a £22m bid for Tottenham’s Croatia midfielder Luka Modric rebuffed by their north London rivals.
After a trophyless season, owner Roman Abramovich is keen to rebuild his aging squad, whose midfield is lacking the creative qualities Modric would supply in abundance.
Chelsea, who are still to appoint a successor to their former Double winning coach Carlo Ancelotti, are expected to return with an improved offer having seen their opening gambit dismissed within two hours of its submission.
Modric, 25, arrived at Spurs in 2008 — signing a six-year deal which he renewed in 2010 – for £16m from Dynamo Zagreb and despite the headlines and personal awards collected by Gareth Bale, is accepted by his club’s fans as their most effective performer.
Manchester United had also been tracking the availability of the playmaker, who said last month he would miss not performing in the Champions League, but have turned their attentions to Chile winger Alexis Sanchez, leaving Chelsea in pole position.
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has already stated that it is crucial for Spurs to retain Modric, describing him as “key” to his team’s fortunes but may be willing to sell for a figure closer to the £35m mark.