Real issue €30m ultimatum for Modric

Real Madrid have handed Tottenham a €30 million 'take it or leave it' bid for Luka Modric, which has been rejected, according to our sources.

 Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has set the price for the Croatian midfielder at around £40 million, though £35 million (plus success-dependent add-on clauses) would be enough to clinch the deal.

 But Real are refusing to bid that high, and have told Levy that their latest offer will be their last - meaning Spurs are now "stuck with" the unhappy Modric as there are no other clubs willing to meet the North Londoners' valuation.

 A source says: "A year ago Daniel Levy could have sold Modric to Chelsea for £40 million but turned it down, believing that in a year's time he would be worth £50 million.

 "Well, the feeling was that he couldn't possibly have such a brilliant season as he had the year before, and his price has not gone up. Even if one of the big-spending clubs came in, they would be wasting their time as the player has made it clear he only wants to go to Real Madrid.

 "Unless something gives, and it doesn't look that way at the moment, then Spurs are stuck with Modric."

 Spurs fans might feel that Modric is a good player to be "stuck with", but new manager Andres Villa-Boas has his work cut out to motivate him if, as now looks likely, his dream move to Real collapses.

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Tottenham turn down Carvalho & Sahin to hold out for cash-only £40m Modric deal

Tottenham have turned down the prospect of Real Madrid including Nuri Sahin or Ricardo Carvalho in any attempted offer for Luka Modric as the north Londoners hold out for a straight cash deal worth around £40 million.

 The Spanish giants are struggling to meet Spurs' valuation of Modric and had hoped to pursue a player-plus-cash move in an attempt to trim their squad.

 Sources at White Hart Lane have denied suggestions that a deal has already been struck for Modric to move to the Bernabeu, although negotiations are ongoing with Real Madrid believed to have significantly improved their previous offer worth £31m.

 Spurs are adamant they will not be bullied into selling their star midfielder, who was fined heavily earlier in the month for refusing to train and failing to take part in the squad’s pre-season tour of the United States.

 One factor for the Londoners has been the difficulty in lining up a direct replacement for the playmaker.

 Joao Moutinho is the top target but his club Porto want £30m for the Portuguese midfielder, while Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas rejected the idea of a move for Sahin as he believes the Turkey international would struggle to adapt to the pace of the Premier League.

 Tottenham have not completely ruled out a future move for Arsenal target Sahin - perhaps on a season-long loan - but they have no interest in Carvalho, who was omitted from Real Madrid’s own pre-season tour of the United States.

 “Spurs don’t want to consider a player swap as Villas-Boas knows the players he wants to reinvest the money in,” an insider revealed. “Carvalho and Sahin are the two that have been mentioned but he’s not interested at the moment.

 He thinks Sahin could struggle with the pace of English football and would rather go all out for Moutinho.” Real Madrid’s pursuit of Modric has been further complicated by the willingness of Paris Saint-Germain to pay £40m for the Croatia international, and Spurs chairman Daniel Levy will not lower his demands.

 The 26-year-old, who cost Spurs £16.5m in 2008, has his heart set on a switch to Real Madrid but PSG could emerge as his only escape route from White Hart Lane, especially with the north London club unwilling to sell him to a Premier League rival.

 While all parties eventually expect to strike a deal, Modric’s future will become clearer after the Tottenham squad return from the United States on Wednesday.

 "Luka is now doing double sessions on his own and when we get back to London we will give players time off and after that we will decide what is best for Luka to do," Villas-Boas told told Sky Sports News.

 "He is a Tottenham player obviously and he has to be in good mental state to return to training as his colleagues are a step above and we will have to work on a programme for him to work on his fitness," he added.

 Modric has four years left on his Spurs contract but is understood to have agreed a deal worth around £120,000-a-week to join Jose Mourinho’s side as they look to retain their La Liga title.

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LUKA MODRIC HOPES OF REAL MADRID TRANSFER DASHED AS CLUB SAYS 'THEY WON'T PAY 40M'

Manager Andre Villas Boas has previously said that Modric will not move unless their £40million fee is matched.

 He said: "This can be resolved in one of two ways. One is that the teams pay what Tottenham is asking and the other is that the player continues with us next season."

 According to Spanish sources, Real Madrid are unwilling to pay the huge fee set by Tottenham.

 Manager Andre Villas Boas has previously said that Modric will not move unless their £40million fee is matched.

 He said: "This can be resolved in one of two ways. One is that the teams pay what Tottenham is asking and the other is that the player continues with us next season."

 According to sources, Real Madrid are unwilling to pay the huge fee set by Tottenham.

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Modric agrees terms with Real Madrid - report

Tottenham star Luka Modric has agreed terms with Real Madrid and could soon finalise a move to the Spanish side despite the clubs being unable to settle on a fee so far, according to reports from Croatian.

 Spurs are said to be demanding over £40 million for the 26-year-old, but Madrid are confident talks will come to a conclusion in the next few days.

 Sources close to Modric have been quoted as saying: "Everything has been resolved. Luka and Real Madrid agree on everything.

 "There is a little more difficulty with the position of Tottenham but everything will be solved and will be resolved quickly.

" Bernabeu boss Jose Mourinho could soon be able to achieve what his former club Chelsea were unable to do last summer.

 Eleven months ago, Modric was denied a move away from White Hart Lane despite heavy interest from Stamford Bridge when Harry Redknapp was Spurs manager.

 Redknapp was sacked after the club fell from a strong position in third place and finished fourth, but did not qualify for the Champions League because Chelsea won the competition.

 Andre Villas-Boas, who was in charge of the Blues when Roman Abramovich pursued Modric last year, will want to keep hold of his best players but the odds of being able to hold onto the much-coveted Croatian look increasingly unlikely.

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CHELSEA SET TO BEAT REAL MADRID TO LUKA MODRIC WITH £36M BID

CHELSEA look set to beat Real Madrid's offer for Luka Modric after it was alleged they are preparing a £36m bid for the midfielder. 

Roman Abramovich has vowed to dig deep as he wants a replacement for Frank Lampard in midfield and Tottenham's Modric has come under the spotlight. 

 The midfielder looked set for a move to Real Madrid after he showed a preference for the club. 

 But his dreams of Spanish stardom could be at an end as the club are only able to stump up £20m for Modric. 

 Chelsea are hoping to lure the Croatian international away from Madrid. Tottenham are in need of a boost financially following their failure to make it into the Champions League. 

 Gareth Bale has already renewed his contract at Spurs leaving Luka Modric as their only high-priced player to sell this summer.

 Ivanovic said previously of Modric: “Chelsea as a team has needed a player with these qualities. He would fit in quickly and strengthen the squad. 

He has exceptional quality, and moving to a bigger club is necessary for him to take the next step in his career. 

He should come to Chelsea – it won’t be a mistake!”

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Ivanovic urges Modric to snub United and Real for Chelsea move

Branislav Ivanovic has told Luka Modric to abandon a move to Real Madrid or Manchester United and join European champions Chelsea instead. 


The in-demand Tottenham playmaker was the Blues top transfer target last summer but opted to stay at White Hart Lane for another season. 


 Tottenham's failure to reach this year's Champions League - as a result of the Blues beating Bayern Munich in the final last month - has made the Croatian reconsider his future with a big-money exit looming. 


 And Ivanovic has urged one of the star men at this summer's Euro 2012 to head to Stamford Bridge. 'I know there was interest in the transfer window before,' he told reporters. 'Chelsea as a team have needed a player with these qualities. 


He would fit in quickly and strengthen the squad. He has been in England a long time and knows about the way football is played on the island and the mentality of the players. 


He has exceptional quality, and moving to a bigger club is necessary for him to take the next step in his career. 'I think at Chelsea he would adapt instantly and become a better player.


 He should come to Chelsea - it won't go wrong!' Real boss Jose Mourinho is a big admirer of Modric, as is United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, while French giants Paris St-Germain could also enter the running for the 26-year-old.

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Tottenham Demand £19m Plus Two Real Madrid Players for Modric Deal

Luka Modric’s transfer from Tottenham may see Real Madrid’s Nuri Sahin and Ricardo Carvalho move the other way. 

Transfer speculation involving Modric has been commonplace this summer, with the Croatian expected to leave Tottenham for one of the big two in La Liga, Barcelona or Real Madrid.

 Although the White Hart Lane faithful are hoping Modric stays with the club, it appears increasingly unlikely as Spurs have neither Champions League football nor an influential manager to convince their talismanic playmaker of future silverware. 

Croatian legend Davor Suker has encouraged Modric to move to the Santiago Bernabeu instead of the Camp Nou, and it appears that Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy would also prefer to do business with Los Blancos. 

Newspaper The National reports that Levy is willing to enter negotiations with Real, if the Spanish club offer Sahin and Carvalho, in addition to a 25 million Euro bid. 

 Daniel Levy may well be ready to relent and allow Luka Modric to complete a move away from White Hart Lane, a year after the White Hart Lane chairman steadfastly refused the Croatian’s request to join Chelsea. 

Perhaps the Tottenham chief merely wanted to avoid selling to a fellow Premier League side but in order for a deal to be struck with Real Madrid it seems that the North London club are keen to sell on their terms.

 Tottenham could well do with new defensive options given that Ledley King is out of contract and William Gallas & Michael Dawson are injury concerns.

 However a move for veteran Ricardo Carvalho is clearly not a long term solution to this problem, indeed many had thought that Ajax captain Jan Vertonghen was the player set to resolve that issue.

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Modric to tell Tottenham it's over

Luka Modric is ready to confirm he wants to quit Tottenham. 

 Croatia midfielder Modric's representatives are hoping for a meeting with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy next week, at which they will make the player's wishes clear.

 Manchester United, Real Madrid and Paris Saint Germain are all keen on Modric, and managerless Spurs face a second successive summer of battling to keep him.

 Levy held firm last summer, even after Modric admitted publicly that he wanted to go to Chelsea and Spurs are bracing themselves for another saga as the 26-year-old and his representatives prepare to raise the stakes. 

 Tottenham also face a battle to keep winger Gareth Bale - especially as there could be a dressing room backlash if Andre Villas-Boas is named as manager.

 Players are understood to be wary of the prospect of Villas-Boas succeeding Harry Redknapp, because the Portuguese struggled at Chelsea last season before being axed after just nine months.

 Once he was gone, the Blues won the FA Cup and European Cup under interim, and now permanent, boss Roberto Di Matteo.

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PSG set to rival Manchester United for Modric

PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti has added the 26-year-old to his wish-list, with the oil-backed club reportedly prepared to offer in excess of £30 million for his signature.

 Such an offer would be difficult to match by Manchester United, who have already had a £22m bid rejected by the north London club. 

 The news comes in the wake of an impressive performance by Modric during Croatia’s 3-1 victory over the Republic of Ireland in their opening Euro 2012 game.

 It also coincides with the news that the French club are willing to pay £40m for AC Milan defender Thiago Silva, as well as wrapping up the signing of Napoli’s Ezequiel Lavezzi.

 The recent transfer dealings of the Ligue 1 outfit suggest they are set to go all-out in pursuit of the French title that eluded them last time out.

 According to reports, Ancelotti had scouts at the Croatia game looking over Modric, and they cannot have failed to have been impressed by his performance.

 Spurs refused to let go of their star player last summer when Chelsea and United showed a keen interest, but they will have a fight on their hands this time round after failing to qualify for the Champions League.

 The diminutive playmaker refused to talk about his future when quizzed during the Euro 2012 build-up, seeming entirely focused on the campaign for his national side who next come up against Italy next Thursday.

 Modric told reporters: "I'm with the national team. I am a Spurs player and it’s not down       to me to speak about it."

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Man United, Chelsea & Schalke to bid for Spurs star Following Redknapp Sacking

White Hart Lane chairman Daniel Levy is set to receive significant offers for key Tottenham personnel as the North London side looks set to have a battle on to keep its top performers from leaving this summer.

 Having failed to secure a Champions League berth for the coming season, despite a top four finish, the subsequent sacking of Harry Redknapp has left many of the club’s players vulnerable to approaches from prospective suitors.

 Chelsea will reportedly continue to pursue Luka Modric despite the signing of Belgian starlet Eden Hazard and Blues owner Roman Abramovich is ready and willing to flex his financial muscles this summer and will meet Tottenham’s previous valuation on their Croatian schemer, thought to be in the region of £35m. Levy will then have to make a tough decision.

 Having already thwarted Modric from moving to Stamford Bridge a year ago the Tottenham chairman knows that preventing the 26 year old from leaving now could affect the midfielder in a detrimental fashion that could well lead to being stuck with an unhappy player.

 Having been handed the Chelsea managerial reins on a permanent basis Roberto Di Matteo is looking to lure Modric to West London as he hopes to add more creativity and guile to his midfield.

 Man United will similarly look to take advantage of the uncertainty prevalent at White Hart Lane by making a big money offer for Welsh winger Gareth Bale.

 Sir Alex Ferguson has set his sights on the young wide-man and has made the 22 year old his number one target for this transfer window.

 Speculation grows over Nani’s future at Old Trafford, with contract talks continuing to stall, and Ferguson is ready to bring in the Tottenham man as a replacement for the Portuguese international who is gathering interest on the continent with the likes of PSG and Juventus circling.

 Ferguson will hope the chance to emulate Bale’s boyhood hero Ryan Giggs as a motivating factor in the race to sign the Spurs man this summer.

 It would take an offer in excess of £35m to tempt Levy into selling and even then would only sanction such a deal if the former Southampton man made it clear he wished to leave.

 Schalke will step up efforts to land Dutch international Rafael Van der Vaart, hoping that the chance to return to the Bundesliga as well as the bait of Champions League football, will persuade the 29 year old to move to the Gelsenkirchen club.

 Boss Huub Stevens will hope that the presence of Van der Vaart’s national team-mate, and good friend, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar at the Veltins-Arena will also help in his pursuit of the goal-scoring midfielder.

 Van der Vaart’s wife is currently contracted to a German TV station that is based in relatively close proximity to Gelsenkirchen and this could help to persuade the former Ajax, Hamburg and Real Madrid man to take up the offer to join Schalke.

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Jimenez: Barcelona on Modric watch

Spain assistant coach Paco Jimenez has revealed that Barcelona scouts are keeping tabs on Tottenham's Luka Modric.

 With the White Hart Lane club missing out on Champions League football for 2012-13, the Premier League side are expected to struggle to hold onto their star playmaker.

 The former Dinamo Zagreb man has impressed for Croatia during Euro 2012, causing Jimenez to reveal Blaugrana scouts have been watching him in action.

 "He's playing very well; Barcelona have someone watching him," Jimenez told reporters. "He was present at Croatia's game against Italy, but I cannot say who he is.

" Manchester United are also believed to be interested in signing Modric this off-season, while Chelsea pursued the Spurs man in mid-2011.

 Spurs, meanwhile, are still expected to sign Ajax defender Jan Vertonghen despite Harry Redknapp's departure this week.

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