Spurs sold him for less than what Chelsea were offering.looks like he didn't have an issue with playing for another pl team
Modric may be available: Move heaven and earth to get him
- Thread starter Ranchero
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Spurs sold him for less than what Chelsea were offering.looks like he didn't have an issue with playing for another pl team
Whilst I’d love for Modric to be at United moving heaven and earth for him is a bit much. He’s 32 and will probably have another season or 2 left in him at a top level.
We should be scouting and bringing in younger options to develop our squad going forward I think.
We should be scouting and bringing in younger options to develop our squad going forward I think.
La gazzetta also says that he wants to leave. I understand Lukita, he has won everything here and the Inter experience can be very attractive. I don't know if the distance with Croatia can be a factor.
I see no reason why Real would sell him especially with Cristiano gone too, but I see quite a few reasons why Modric would rather go to Inter now than come to us
End of an era, Modric will be 33 soon. Better to cash in now, their midfield is stacked enough anyway with Kroos, Isco, Casemiro, Ceballos, Llorente ... Make your team younger, sell your older players when their market value is as high as possible and perhaps even bring in a new flashy toy (Hazard) in the process. It's a no brainer for Real imo.
Despite Italy being closer I don't think the distance is a factor. You actually have much more frequent and direct planes on regular basis to Madrid.
But, different experience, winning everything as you said along with Brozovic, Perisic and now Vrsaljko being there probably is. Still, I can't see Florentino letting him go as selling both Ronaldo and Modric in the same window seems unlikely, despite their age imo. Unless he has some big names in his sleeve and pulls one or two big transfers in Madrid way.
Damn what a midfield that is, it has the perfect balance! Don't forget Modric's fellow Croatian, Brozovic!
They have other quality players like Icardi, Perisic, Handanovic, Skriniar, Miranda, de Vrij and Vrsaljko. They also signed Asomoah from Juventus and signed Lautaro Martinez who I haven't seen play but have heard a lot of excellent reviews about him and his potential. If they can keep that core of players together then will definitely challenge Juventus for the league and do well in the Champions League.
The time seems right though. Modric is 33 in a month and his cache is currently high after a very good world cup. This might be Real's last chance to sell him at a high fee to reinvest in the squad. Remember this team finished 3rd last season a full 17 points behind Barca. There were already signs that these top players couldn't maintain their high level performances for a full season. Continuing without change might not be the savviest choice
While there isn't a 2nd Modric around, Real have many young players who'll relish the opportunity to step up. Either way some of the core of that Real team was at the end of its shelf life and a transition to a new, younger team inevitable.
Yes, it seems difficult, he would have to bring at least a substitute of "similar" level.
Unless they have decided to give real prominence to Ceballos and Kovacic or even Valverde and Odegaard. Which sounds good, but it seems very risky.
Yeah, can't argue much with most of that. It's just that Madrid have been uncharacteristically quiet in the transfer window, not just this season, but for the last 2 or 3 years. And it does appear to me that they always wanted to act like a dominant force on the market, especially Florentino. Now you have to go all the way back to the arrival of James and Kroos as their last big window.
So, while I agree with you that the timing is right, I can't imagine letting both go and not bringing any big name. It would confirm in some way shifting of that power more in direction of City/PSG which they wouldn't like imo. Or maybe I'm reading too much into that and they will act and look at this situation purely from a footballing and financial point of view for a change.
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With Modric effectively 33 this coming season, providing Madrid are willing to sell Modric, how much would he roughly go for?
That seems very risky. Haven't seen much of Ceballos (heard that he is very talented though) and Kovacic is hit and miss most of the times. Maybe bringing Hazard and pulling Isco a bit deeper could be an answer.
Tbh, I would be surprised if you don't bring anyone in, whether Modric stays or not.
Why does it matter so much if he's way better than those 3 players under 25. Why do people feel that United have an obligation to develop these players. The club is going through a rough few years and it's priority should be to get back to winning ways now, not in 3-4 years when Pereira, Fred and Pogba may or may not have have peaked.
If we are looking to win trophies he can contribute far more than any midfielder we have, possibly even more than Pogba. If he's available and we have surplus funds to sign a RW then it's a no brainer. We will instantly have one of the best midfields in Europe with Matic, Modric and Pogba. Such strength in midfield can hide a lot of problems we have in other areas.
I wasn't arguing either side, just saying that it was a valid concern that it will impact the time of these 3 players. There are obvious pros and cons to short termism but at 32 and having played a full la Liga and world cup we don't know how much Modric has left in the tank.
Even at 32, I think this would be a good move if it happened. He seems to be playing as well as ever in his career and if he came in even for 2 or 3 years I think it would be great signing.
We are a poor side with or without the ball - certainly not in the position where we can overlook the best midfielder of that type in the world who would force us to play in a way we should be playing in the first place.
His age isn't an overbearing factor as even in decline, it's his intelligence and usage of both the ball and showing for it that make him greater than his physical attributes (stamina in particular).
Would you bet against a player with so many strings to his bow not just becoming a better player from deep as his legs go?
Wages. We pay far too much in those to players who shouldn't even be at the club. You get some of those off the books to facillitate his wage if needs be - even if that's not the case, you have to be willing to pay top coin for a top player.
We're not in a position of strength; we are not shot callers or able to dictate much of anything until we are a force again. The penalty is having to do a few things you normally wouldn't - bringing in a 33 year old Modric is a no-brainer (if possible) under such circumstances.
The conversation is redundant beings as he's not being sold (unless he is genuinely agitating for a move), but it simply boggles the mind to think some don't want him here.
Modric would be a great player for us and if he was available on a free it'd be worth it, but we should prioritise our spending elsewhere.
We could have peak Xavi/Iniesta/Busquets in this midfield and still struggle. Our major short comings are elsewhere.
We could have peak Xavi/Iniesta/Busquets in this midfield and still struggle. Our major short comings are elsewhere.
Not sure what you mean by playing the way we should? Even if we add Modric, Jose won't give up on his way of playing and relying on quick transition and counter more than controlling the game by possession. And while Modric is tremendous even in that aspect of the game, actually that's been one of his biggest strength, that still doesn't guarantee you anything.
He does not rely solely on physical attributes, but I think you're underestimating them also. He relies on them much more than Xavi or Pirlo for example and they were done by the age 35 on the highest level. He is pretty explosive, which enables him to leave his marker or beat the pressing most of the time, he is great in the defensive part of the game, excellent in transition and those part of his game will start to decline. Pretty much the same way they did with Iniesta.
Yeah, I would. As I said even the players who were much more comfortable in the deeper role like Xavi or Pirlo felt it. Modric can play a DM, but he is best when he has a cover behind him and that's why Croatia looked best when Brozovic was covering for him and Rakitic.
Now, honest question. Did you ever perceive that Schweinsteiger will fall off the cliff so much the season we signed him? I mean just a year ago he had an all-time great performance against Messi in the final and very good tournament overall. He depended a bit more on physicality, but his intelligence and usage of the ball should have still been a great upgrade and he just couldn't keep up or contribute anything. Now, not saying it will be the same with Modric, but you can't beat your age and his decline will happen pretty soon.
His wages and transfer fee will also probably be huge, so counting all that it's understandable that people have concerns.
If Madrid puts him on the "available" list, yes indeed, it would be hard to say no, but considering all this I wouldn't mind or blame the club if (hypothetically speaking) they say no to that move.
Modric is not available, that's press BS. Unless Modric states publicly he wants to leave his transfer clause is € 750 Mio. I'm not sure why people fall into this trap set by the press time and again. Mark it down: Modric won't leave Real Madrid this summer!
No less than 20m I think.
Yup. His experience would be invaluable in Champions League and happens to be, we need to improve on that stage immensely.
“The only possibility of leaving Modrić is paying 750 million euros,” Pérez told Marca.
Terrible sentence, but funny if true. Buyout clause apparently.
We won't get him but if we would, he could definitely take us to the semi's in UCL
He will cost money, money which - if available and to be spent - should be spent elsewhere. Therefore it is entirely sensible that some don’t want him here.
Matic, Pogba, Fred, Herrera and Pereira for no.6 and no.8 positions, with Pogba comfortable as the most advanced no.8 in a three, along with Fellaini and Lingard who are advanced no.8’s/no.10’s. We really don’t have near that quality, depth and variety in other positions. Regardless of how good an available player for this area of the pitch is, they would be an unnecessary and (considering the need to strengthen elsewhere) unwise addition.
This is especially true when you consider we just bought one of those players, Fred, to go with the relatively recent and expensive purchases of another two, in the esteemed Pogba and Matic.
Even then, if we somehow still arrived at the conclusion we needed another player in midfield, it would have to be a more advanced player - a no.10 - given that, in Lingard and Fellaini, we have good depth and variety but no top quality for that role. Modric isn’t that player - he’s not looking to stay high, operating between the opponent’s defence and midfield.
He is obviously a great player, so I can understand the appeal in having him at United if it’s a real possibility. It is, however, ridiculous to say that the idea of others not wanting him is mind- boggling.
Fantastic player, but not what we need right now.
I'd rather we spend the money where we need to improve.
I'd rather we spend the money where we need to improve.
Good lad. LB would be my first choice and CB second choice.
You expect to get arguably, the best midfielder in the World right now, for free?
Seriously?
Ronaldo is of similar age and cost £100M.
You can estimate accordingly, the price of Modric.
No, that wasn't my point at all. I don't think he's over priced (I don't know what he'd be priced at), my point is that we glaring fault elsewhere which we should focus on addressing first.
Now I'm going to add a clumsy analogy for everyone to get worked up over.
It's like having a functioning mobile phone and then upgrading to the latest top end phone, whilst not having shoes to wear. We should buy some shoes first.
Can't think of a more impactful player in the world other than Messi. He is one of those players that can single handedly transform a dysfunctional team like ours into a functional one.
Playing with competence, confidence and control ( I could add some more C's, but I think they'll do) It wouldn't matter how Jose set the team up - Modric being on the pitch, in midfield, immediately forces deference from those around him. He's a conduit that forces a team to play and someone others can rely on to the point where it's an organic progression. Even if we continued with our current way of using the ball, Modric would force us to do what we do, better. He guarantees you a level of play only the top teams actually have. Even his worst days are measured against himself - now that the other true midfield maestros have retired - which is no bad thing when so far ahead of the majority, and by the majority, I mean practically every other midfielder out there not named Kroos or Silva(if you wish to class him as such).
You're conflating a lot here. Iniesta is a very different animal to the others and Xavi had a tremendous, if subtle engine for the majority of his career. He may have been one-paced, but he could pass and show for the ball throughout his tenure at Barca and that takes a lot of gas to do. Modric is more explosive than all the guys you've mentioned, but still, his mainstay is his tank and he has shown for a long time he can use it in numerous ways and as he ages and is less explosive, he'll still be a strong one-pace player who finds other ways to circulate the ball (and himself) than using short-burst acceleration. Unless you expect his fitness to fall off a cliff rather than be a steady and gradual decline, there's massive use in Modric, as an elite player, for a few years yet.
I'm not going to go into a battle of semantics here as playing deep can mean more than one thing. In Modric's case, he'd surely be considered a 'DLP' if he does drop deep in the future. The main point here is he's not done once his role, or his current manner of playing, changes.
Schweinsteiger was riddled with injuries, which is the only reason Bayern even contemplated selling him. His was a much more uncertain ride into his 30's because he was showing great signs of wear and tear and all the problems that then befall a player who is breaking down entered the fray. Modric has had very little issue with his fitness or injury and I'd not think the same way of him (being here) if he were a crock.
Luka Modric is the best at what he does on the planet - you pay a premium for that. We would actually need him more than he needs us given what he's won over the last four seasons and how he's performed throughout. We've to push the boat out sometimes, Modric would be one of those times. You work the squad around a player like that - what I mean is those saying the money for him could be used on more, supposedly, problematic positions should come from others in the squad being culled to make those funds available, not in lieu of a player like Modric who genuinely has transformative power going from his level to ours.
I think it would be a massive oversight, but I guess continuing a back and forth over something that's clearly not going to happen is pointless.
Perez wants £668m for him apparently. 
This is bull. You dont say no to one of the best players in the world because you'll have no resale value.
2 or 3 years of modric for 80 odd million is better than 5 years of toby a or willian at 50
I would think there's 0% chance of Real selling both Ronaldo and Modric in the same window, arguably their 2 best and most important players.
See my response above regarding this.
None of this really matters - by default, it would become Pogba, Modric and one other. Turning a pretty good midfield into one of the best in the world. Fred, Matic or whoever else, then become part of the rotation. This is not to say someone like Fred couldn't have a major role to play as the season unfolded as it's still important to have strong players to put into the team whilst maintaining a certain standard for the unit.
Controlling the midfield is paramount and allows other areas of the team to better get a footing in the game, we need to control midfield in the manner a top team does more than anything else, imo. You might be surprised how well our attack does if they've an assured pipeline and there is systematic control of the midfield behind them. Modric enables so much in both directions; as I said previously, for us, he is a transformative player who one could genuinely expect to take an entire team up a notch by enabling his own team to function and the opposition to become discombobulated as they feel themselves chasing shadows, which in turn provides openings from those exploits.
There aren't many sole-players I think can turn a team around, when one becomes available (which Modric probably isn't) you've got to look at your own side and evaluate how much said player can take you on/up. If you're of the belief midfield is king, then not wanting this player is incredulous, still.
Rather, that's his way of saying the player is crucial and not for sale. Modric will have to fight to leave Madrid, which is to be expected.Perez wants £668m for him apparently.
Too late. Whatever Modric wants means jackshite in August. If he wanted to leave he should have alerted the club in April. Now, it's either bring €750m in a single installment, or shut up and do your job
It would be marvelous. Exactly the kind of top class international star that Man Utd. needs.
The fee Madrid are asking for is not real, it's just them saying to the world 'shut up and move on. You're not having him'.
Yes the transfer market has gone mad. But no one, I repeat no one is going to take Perez seriously here. €750M for a 32 year old that turns 33 in September.
The €750M is apparently his release clause in his contract which makes me think: It sounds ridiculous now, but how ridiculous was it when the contract was signed? (Assuming it wasn't this year)
Yes the transfer market has gone mad. But no one, I repeat no one is going to take Perez seriously here. €750M for a 32 year old that turns 33 in September.
The €750M is apparently his release clause in his contract which makes me think: It sounds ridiculous now, but how ridiculous was it when the contract was signed? (Assuming it wasn't this year)
Luka Modric will only be allowed to leave Real Madrid if a club meets his £668m release clause, according to club president Florentino Perez. So that seems to be that then? No. I think that's just rhetoric and posturing. If someone put in a silly bid of £150m then I cannot see Real not letting him go considering his age. But he is not the sort of player we have ever been after. He doesn't seem to fit the archetypal big physical guy mode that JoMo seems to be obsessed with.
I think we are going to go through another season without attempting to get a footballing, playmaking box to box midfielder with guile, that is comfortable on the ball and can pick a defence-splitting FORWARD pass.
Heard Gordon Strachan say last night, pretty much what I have said here, that he is precisely the sort of player that would transform United.
But in all fairness it's not rocket science. We are desperately short of engine room creativity.
I think we are going to go through another season without attempting to get a footballing, playmaking box to box midfielder with guile, that is comfortable on the ball and can pick a defence-splitting FORWARD pass.
Heard Gordon Strachan say last night, pretty much what I have said here, that he is precisely the sort of player that would transform United.
But in all fairness it's not rocket science. We are desperately short of engine room creativity.
I think we will be Ok in midfield after adding Fred and Pereira to Pogba, Matic, Herrera, McTominay, and Fellaini.
What we need most is a Full Back and a top Right Winger. Sandro and Willian would be nice. But most on here want a CB more than a Full back.
What we need most is a Full Back and a top Right Winger. Sandro and Willian would be nice. But most on here want a CB more than a Full back.