by Isco Benny Sat Jun 18, 2011 4:08 pm
There's Little Sense In Selling Luka
"Once again for the record, we are not a selling club, rather we are building for the future. When we have players on long contracts we have no need to entertain offers" - Daniel Levy, December 2007.
Daniel Levy's 'no uncertain terms' style proclamation that Luka Modric would not be leaving White Hart Lane was certainly familiar. He said the same about Dimitar Berbatov on a number of occasions, but a few months later the combined powers of a very good transfer fee and an unhappy player forced him to change his position.
Or was that ever his true position?
Levy is a famously hard bargainer, wringing every last penny out of Manchester United for Berbatov and Michael Carrick. And rule one of getting the best deal is that you give the impression you don't want to sell, thus increasing the bidding from the purchasing party.
However, Spurs must do everything they can to resist this time, especially with the number of clubs clamouring for a Champions League spot next season. Harry Redknapp has as much every time he's opened his mouth for the last few months, and Harry Redknapp opens his mouth an awful lot.
While Redknapp only concerns himself with the playing side (as he has again stated numerous times) Levy's brief is to deal with the business of Tottenham, and as ever the business depends on how they perform on the pitch. And, for the last season at least, how Tottenham perform on the pitch has depended heavily on Luka Modric.
Forget the assist and goalscoring stats, or the occasional flash of brilliance from Gareth Bale or Rafa van der Vaart - most Spurs fans will tell you that Modric runs the show, and they would much rather sell the other two than the little Croatian.
For both the prestige of the occasions and the cash that it brings, Tottenham want to be in the Champions League. Hell, Redknapp even declares from time to time that he thinks he can win the league with Spurs. But only if they keep players like Modric.
Last season, Spurs made something like £35million from the Champions League TV payouts and prize money. And that's before you factor in the increase in gate receipts and assorted other cash that can be raked in from a run at the most prestigious of club competitions.
Assuming that Chelsea will baulk at paying north of £40million for Modric, even the financial case for selling him starts to fall apart. One season in Europe's top competition essentially makes up for turning down any offer.
There are those who will claim you should never keep an unhappy player. Indeed, Modric's statement was a rather curious one. He said he wanted to leave Tottenham as friends, but made it clear he regards himself as too good for them. He claimed to have an understanding with Levy over his transfer, something that Levy seems not to agree with. And he stated he would not hand in a transfer request because that would be disrespectful, but announced this in a national newspaper.
However, Modric also announced that, while he wants to leave Spurs, he doesn't want to leave London, reducing the number of clubs he is willing to turn out for to one. The lack of an auction will further reduce the willingness of Chelsea to pay top dollar. If we are to take Modric's statement at face value, it's Chelsea or Spurs.
It's been said before that if Spurs want to be taken seriously as a top club, they simply cannot continue to acquiesce every time someone with a big bag of cash starts sniffing around whoever their best player is at the time. That is a football argument, but Levy must also consider the financial argument.
Modric, combined with a new striker or two, is Tottenham's best chance of getting back into the Champions League, and all the rewards that come with it.
Sell him, and they'll have some money. However, keep him and they could still get the money, but also have a brilliant playmaker. It would be a gamble, but a gamble worth taking.
Nick Miller
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