The Modric Saga ?

[Mostar]

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/News-Chelsea-could-face-points-deduction-over-Luka-Modric-transfer-article749181.html

Chelsea could face point deduction over Modric storm

Chelsea face the threat of a points deduction – if found guilty of tapping up Luka Modric.

Furious Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is set to report the Blues to the Premier League. He warned Chelsea in writing not to pursue Modric and has now accused them of making public a bid for the player in order to unsettle him.

Chelsea have form for making illegal approaches. In 2005, they were fined £300,000 and given a three-point suspended *penalty by an independent *Premier League commission over Ashley Cole’s *recruitment from Arsenal.

They were also found guilty by FIFA of making an illegal approach for Gael Kakuta in 2009. Initially that sparked an international transfer ban which was eventually lifted.

Spurs will raise this with the Premier League. And any *future tribunal is sure to take into consideration Chelsea’s previous history.

Modric went public at the weekend saying he wanted to leave for Chelsea, even though he still has five years left on his £42,000 a-week contract.

It’s believed that his terms at Chelsea could be in the £150,000 a-week class.

However, Spurs chairman Levy said: “I wish to make it absolutely clear, as I have said previously, that none of our key players will be sold this summer.

“We are building a team for the future to consistently play at the highest level and *retaining quality players is crucial to that.

“In respect of Luka Modric, we are not prepared to sell, at any price, to Chelsea or any other club.

“We made our stance on this issue abundantly clear in *writing to Chelsea. They chose to ignore it and subsequently made the offer public.

“For the avoidance of any doubt, let me reiterate that we shall not enter into any negotiations whatsoever, with any club, regarding Luka.”

Asked if Chelsea had made public a bid for Modric, a club spokesman said: “Nonsense.”

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp said: “The chairman has made a statement today. He can’t backtrack on that. He means that – I know he means that. Luka’s not going.

“Daniel and Joe Lewis own the club. They’re not selling Luka – end of story, as far as I’m concerned. It’s not easy to keep a player who’s not happy, but the chairman has said we are not going to sell him, so we have got to stand by that now.

“If we sell Luka where are we going as a *football club?

“We’ll have to accept then that we’re a middle-of-the-*table team that will finish in the top half next season and really that’s not what the chairman wants, it’s not what I want.

“It’s not, most importantly, what the fans want.”

[Craig_H]

I'd laugh my ****ing bollocks off if Chelsea get a points deduction.

[Mostar]

Same here.

It won't happen.

They were caught with their fingers in the cookie jar before and nothing happened.

That said, no matter what comes out this I doubt Modric will be making 42k per week much longer.

[Nate7]

didn't they threaten us with something similar when we bought keane? i remember us paying money to someone (charity?) and everything was fine after that.

[Exiled_red]

Furious Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is set to report the Blues to the Premier League. He warned Chelsea in writing not to pursue Modric and has now accused them of making public a bid for the player in order to unsettle him.

If that counts as tapping up every club in the league would be in trouble.

[magicalbarnes]

Modric was Spurs best player last year.

He probably was Spurs best player last season, but £35m FFS! Maybe if he was about 3 years younger, and British.

Spurs should take the money and run, they could buy two top quality players with that.

[Exiled_red]

He probably was Spurs best player last season, but £35m FFS! Maybe if he was about 3 years younger, and British.

Spurs should take the money and run, they could buy two top quality players with that.

He's 25 which means he's just coming to his peak, I don't think it's that excessive in the current market, that said the English market is currently crazy

[Shaggy]

He's a quality player no doubt but he doesn't make the most of it IMO. Doesn't really punch his weight. Something like 4 assists and 3 goals last season. I know it's not all about stats and he is a class player...£35m+ though is crazy.

[RichC]

He's worth about £20M maybe £25M at a push but no more than that - good player but as Shaggy says he doesn't really create as much as people believe.

[Shaggy]

When you look at the likes of Henderson then £35m isn't so crazy, but still...

[Chazza]

Alot will depend on the formation that Chelsea play, he is more restricted in the Spurs midfield when VDV is playing, if the chavs stay with a 451/433 formation then he could move further forward and play a 'free' role behind Torres

[Vermilion]

I've heard a lot of his ex coaches say he's one of the best headers of a ball they have ever seen.

edit: Sorry, no that's wrong, i heard 'one' of his ex coaches say that. oops.

[magicalbarnes]

He's 25 which means he's just coming to his peak, I don't think it's that excessive in the current market, that said the English market is currently crazy

Yeah the English market is currently crazy and British players are going for huge sums, but thats just the way it is - and always going to be.

When buying British there are so many less risks involved, hence the higher prices.

Spurs will be an overall stronger team, if they sell and re-invest.

[Exiled_red]

Yeah the English market is currently crazy and British players are going for huge sums, but thats just the way it is - and always going to be.

When buying British there are so many less risks involved, hence the higher prices.

Spurs will be an overall stronger team, if they sell and re-invest.

It's not just British players, it's players involved with British clubs.

[Maxiedge]

He's a very clever footballer...he has football running through his veins, a very natural talent, but from the start you could see that he was not imposing enough to really make his mark at the top and I still stand by that. He's about as good as it gets without going into world class territory.