Lucrative offer:
Tottenham are desperate to keep Luka Modric
Sought-after:
Modric has emerged as one of the top midfielders in the Premier
League
Luka Modric will
become the highest-paid player in Tottenham's history if he agrees
to stay at White Hart Lane this summer.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy
will hold talks with the Chelsea target when the player returns for
pre-season training on July 6 and hopes that a double-your-money
offer of £90,000 a week will persuade the Croat to pledge his
long-term future to the club.
Levy, known for being strict
in financial matters, has told Modric, Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon
they will not be sold at any price as Spurs bid for a return to the
Champions League.
But he is also aware that
25-year-old Modric's £45,000 weekly wage - nearly £2million a year
less than top earners Peter Crouch and Robbie Keane - makes the
club vulnerable to offers from Manchester United, Manchester City
and Chelsea, whose £22m bid for the midfielder was turned down a
fortnight ago.
Modric would prefer to stay in
London despite the higher wages on offer from United and City,
while Chelsea's failure to follow up their initial bid suggests
Roman Abramovich will not approach the £50m British record which
prised Fernando Torres from Liverpool.
New manager Andre Villas-Boas
could offer Didier Drogba as bait for a deal. That might appeal to
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp, but Levy is sticking rigidly to his
policy and allowing Modric to leave would affect the club's
long-term ambitions.
Tempted: New Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas could offer
Didier Drogba as bait
If Modric calls for an exit
clause in a new contract, it is unlikely Levy will accept it below
£50m. While Modric is disappointed about Tottenham's failure to
qualify for the Champions League, he is happy at the club and an
improved deal could persuade him to stay.
Chelsea's £22m bid was slammed
by Redknapp as 'ridiculous' and Levy declared his star asset was
not for sale 'at any price'.
Modric, quoted as saying that
Chelsea were 'a big club with an ambitious owner', has no plans to
rock the boat further and will report for pre-season training in 10
days' time.
But his future will depend on
negotiations between Levy and Modric's representatives. A source
said: 'Daniel Levy has been adamant that the key players for
Tottenham's long-term success - Bale, Lennon and Modric - will not
be sold.
'The things that Luka said
about Chelsea have created a bit of a mess but the Spurs fans will
be happy to see him back. It needs all sides to sit down and
discuss the way forward.
'Apart from the one offer from
Chelsea, there have been no further bids from anyone.'
Modric signed three years ago
after helping Croatia reach the quarter-finals of Euro 2008. He has
developed into one of the most sought-after stars in the Premier
League, with Chelsea wanting him to add creativity and United boss
Sir Alex Ferguson viewing him as a potential replacement for Paul
Scholes.