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Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric has come out in a scathing attack on Chairman Daniel Levy and said that he want to leave Spurs and move to Chelsea. Modric claims that Levy broke a gentleman’s agreement they had by refusing his move to a bigger club, and said that he was threatened with a place on the bench if he didn’t accept the club’s stance.
Chelsea’s pursuit of Modric has been one of the most public and tedious transfer sagas of the summer so far, with both sides changing their tune like sine curves on steroids. Modric has previously admitted to being flattered by Chelsea’s interest in him, but both manager Harry Redknapp and chairman Daniel Levy have since come out with strongly worded statements saying that the midfielder will not leave White Hart Lane under any circumstances.
Modric revealed himself to be disappointed with this stance. Speaking to media outlet Sportske Novosti, he said that he didn’t know what he would do if not allowed to move to Chelsea this summer. He said-
“I haven’t thought about it at all because [not letting me go] would definitely not be good for anyone. I have already told the chairman that last summer he said we would find a mutually satisfactory agreement if a club like Chelsea came in.
“I hope that eventually he will understand the situation and that we will reach an agreement and go our separate ways in an appropriate manner.”
Talking about the meeting with Levy (in which the Chairman said that Modric understood the club’s situation and had agreed to stay on at Tottenham), Modric stated that Levy had given a twisted account of events and the reality was quite different than what was being reported. He claimed that a gentleman’s agreement had been violated, one that had been agreed upon last season.
“A lot has been published in the press about the meeting with Levy, who gave the public a twisted account of what happened.
“I must say that I am genuinely disappointed about what Levy said to me. He didn’t care about what I was telling him. It all only convinced me further that I was right to consider moving on to another club.
“I reminded the chairman of our gentleman’s agreement when we were in Dubrovnik last summer and I agreed a contract extension with Tottenham. At that time, I had an open chat with Levy – that if a bigger club came in with a concrete offer, we would consider it and agree the best solution for all concerned.
“The chairman said, ‘Okay, we’ll sit and talk [about any offers]‘. Now Levy doesn’t want to talk to me and said there is no possibility that I can leave Spurs.”
Modric even went as far as to declare that he had been threatened with a place on the bench if he proved uncooperative to Spurs efforts. He said-
“He threatened me – he said if I didn’t accept the club’s stance, they would make me sit on the bench or in the stands.”
This saga has certainly taken a new twist now, with more things out in the open. It remains to be seen whether Chelsea take advantage of this rift between Modric and the Spurs authorities, or if Modric finally cracks and hands in a formal transfer request. Stay tuned for more in this regard.
