A return for Modric in January? Villas-Boas doesn’t exactly rule it out

By: Jack | September 8th, 2011

Is the pursuit of Luka Modric finally over? Reply hazy, try again later.

modric

I initially loved the idea of adding the Croatian to our midfield during the close season. That idea soured as the summer continued. Missing out on Modric at £40 or so million was proper business for Chelsea. There’s just no value there.

That, however, is not to say the club won’t return for the playmaker in January. It was a possibility not lost on the media today during Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas’ press conference pre-Sunderland. He was asked whether or not he expected the club to rekindle its interest in Modric once the mid-season transfer window opens it doors.

We can categorize Villas-Boas’ response as diplomatic.

“No I don’t think so,” he said. “The market is closed and I won’t speculate what happens in January.”

Then we won’t speculate, either. Not really. I reckon a deal isn’t out of the realm of possibility, but that Chelsea would only make a move if the price was significantly reduced.

Villas-Boas went on to speak of the midfielder signed in Modric’s place, Raul Meireles, and why he chose to allow Yossi Benayoun to join Arsenal on a season-long loan.

“Signing Raul Meireles was an extremely good deal for us and we are happy to have him here,” Villas-Boas said. “I had said we needed one more player in midfield. Yossi Benayoun had variability, he could play in the middle and he could play out in the channels or behind the striker, but we felt that towards what we wanted to achieve in terms of playing style, Raul would fit with this requirement.”

Speaking of failed transfers. Villas-Boas also spoke on Alvaro Pereira, specifically why a potential move for the FC Porto fullback broke down.

“We were very far from meeting Porto’s demands regarding Alvaro,” he said. “We are very happy with Ashley Cole and Ryan Bertrand and the availability we have for that position with Paulo Ferreira and Jose Bosingwa also able to play on the left, and even David Luiz has done it before.

“We are happy with what we have and now the market has closed the team now is together and focused on the objectives, so we are pretty happy with what we have done.”

Makes perfect sense. The amount Porto were looking for (close to €30 million), from Chelsea’s perspective, was an absolutely ridiculous price for a player that would have represented a luxury purchase. Pocket that money for the time being and break it out when an option becomes available at a more pressing position.

The January window should again prove to be quite interesting for Chelsea. Will it rival this year’s? Unlikely. But there are questions: Will Josh McEachran have established himself yet? If not, will he be loaned out? Will Gael Kakuta return to the club ready to make an impact? How will the club respond to losing manpower during the Africa Cup of Nations?

And, of course, will we inquire about Modric? Only time will tell.

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Category: Chelsea Team News, Coaching News, Player News, Quotes, Transfer Rumors

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JP

I wonder why tottenham fans have decided to troll a chelsea site. I guess their ears start burning when the name Luka Modric gets mentioned.
Tomjueshop

This site shows up on newsnow TOTTENHAM so no-one is trolling do i guess you are just clueless
Maysam

I beleive African Club will affect us less this season ... well we will get used to play without Essien, we have strikers to step up when Drogba leaves ... I do not think African Cup will affect us very bad ...
I still do not get why we let Yossi leaves specially on loan (Unless Arsneal is paying most of his wage)...
I think purchase of Meireles shows Boas is thinking about changing the formation ... meireles is good at 4-4-2 ...
I still beleive, if we want to get the best out of our players, we haver to switch to 4-4-2 Diamond or 4-2-3-1
Juliet

PS.. It was 30 million plus a player :0)
Jack

And that player was Alex, which, from my view, makes for a great offer.
Juliet

I say go for Modric if he is playing badly and unhappy a spurs, he will most likely put in a transfer request again anyway..
He does not like that greedy spiteful chairman too much and I cannot see them making friends after the way Levy belittled him...
Tomjueshop

What on earth would Levy reduce the price ? he has already put you firmly in your place and clearly that has put your noses out of place.

If anything if you have a bad start and are in need then the price will be closer to 50 mil
Jack

All right. I wasn't going to respond to any of this nonsense, but this is just absurd. Levy kept an unhappy player - yeah, genius move. Let's say said unhappy player underperforms, Spurs flounder - similar to what we saw against City - and you're in the bottom half of the table come January. Do you A. Hold on to unhappy player and continue to struggle or B. sell him for 25, maybe a little less, and bring in some much-needed reinforcements? I know what Harry would do.
Tomjueshop

I guess on today showing Modders is not so unhappy and may just overperform for us and quote one punit "I was looking at him to see if his attitude was alright and it was exceptional."
Tomjueshop

Modders is not going to underperform because he is unhappy anyone with a little common sense can work out if he did that no club would want him.

So the case could be Modders plays out of his skin in a bid to show his worth £40 mil and we then sell him to Man U or aboard but there is no way Levy will sell him to Chelsea
Alan Windrow

Give it a rest Jack, you arrogant fool. You don't seem to understand the point here. Chelsea are not in the position of strength here. Unlike the Berbatov situaiton. He's a Tottenham player with 5 years left on his deal. We decide when and who he moves to and it certainly won't be to Chelsea after your constant tapping up this summer.
Jack

These idiots won't stop, will they? As if the audacity of suggesting we tapped up the player wasn't enough - conveniently overlooking the thousands of players Harry mentioned, including Gary Cahill about 100 times on deadline day, over the summer - these guys think keeping an unhappy player is a great move. As if you can somehow force Modric to play well after Levy broke the gentleman's agreement. Yeah, you're in charge. Feel free to watch him sulk it up, though. Hilarious.
Tomjueshop

Jack the only people sulking are people like YOU for once you did not get your own way and its hitting home right now.
You are clearly unhappy as are many of your fellow supporters and feel the need to keep bring up the same old crap.

The window shut and less than 24 hours later people like you were saying SPURS were worried about bids in Jan now thats hilarious
Jack

My God you people really are dense. How are we sulking? Our manager offered quotes on this subject Thursday - thus the use of quotation marks in the post. We reported it, and offered our thoughts on his words. That's kind of what we do around here. If you don't want to fucking read it, then why are you here?
Tomjueshop

Dense ? really so because people do not agree with your thoughts they are dense well as you seem to disagree with everything others write i guess you are just as dense as the rest of us.

We are here because it shows up on a spurs site and if you do not want replys do not write the fucking shit easy really
Jack

I see you changed your stance, from saying we as Chelsea supporters are sulking and unhappy that we didn't sign Modric to saying that I'm attacking people because they don't agree with my view. Pretty poor attempt to deflect from the fact you don't have a point.

Just drop the charade man.
Tomjueshop

I was unaware i had to repeat meself ? i have not change my stance at all you are clearly sulking and unhappy modders was not allowed to join you, how dare that little man Levy tell Chelsea ( a club that has won less that Spurs ) that they can not buy one of their best players on the cheap the cheek of him.

The point is ( other than you sulking ) Chelsea fans everywhere were saying modders would be a chelsea player and Levy would fold at the sight of all that cash WRONG WRONG WRONG.

Tottenham are a better run club money wise and do not need to sell while Chelsea *think* they have a god given right to do what they want and everyone has to tow the line but this time Levy stuck it up you.

So Jack put your toys back in the pram and try writing something that has facts and if you only want replys patting you on the back unlink your site from newsnowtottnham
Eugene Sauls

Enuf guyz! As a Chelsea fan, I agree that Modric would hv been a great addition 2 da club n we missed out big time. I also agree dat Modric did sulk @ da start of da season e.g refusing 2 play when clearly he could. However its back 2 business 4 Spurs n Modric n he looks his old self again. Dnt 4get abt Harry sulking when Chelsea signed Mata, Spurs couldn't get da player they so badly wanted n started talkin crap abt Chelsea. 4 da record, the only reason as 2 y Chelsea continued 2 pursue da Modric Saga, was coz ur player said himself dat he wants 2 play 4 Chelsea!
Jack

This guy, my word.
Tomjueshop

Hit a nerve with a few facts there have i
Jack

Not at all. It was the incoherent dross that was baffling.

I'm done.
Tomjueshop

Don,t be so hard on yourself the blog was not that bad
Maysam

I think Tottenham will eventually be forced to sell him, I doublt they sell it for less but they will eventualy sell Modric ...
There are very few exceptions of unhappy players who played well after they showed their sadness on public, maybe rooney and Ronaldo are the olny exceptions ...
De Santoas is now acting the same as Modric ... Levy made a huge mistake, they could get the money and spend on positions that they really need player, now they have an unhappy player who is not performing well and faking injuries, and lacking good players in several positions..
dan

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that if we get Modric in the January window it will be for less than 35. As has been said, Levy will have an unhappy player (not performing particularly well) and Tottenham will be struggling in the table. This time around, however, Chelsea will be a lot less intense in their pursuit and in a much better bargaining position because of the Meireles acquisition.

Levy (after Luka has played poorly and handed in a transfer request): We'll sell him to you at your last offer...

Chelsea: "We don't really need a midfielder, we have Meireles and he's playing well ...but... we'll take Luka off your hands for 25"

Levy: 35

Chelsea: 32 final offer

Levy: Deal
Thfc123kandy

Go fuck yourself you fucking moron as if levy will be bullied by a fucking Russian gangster and his little plaything avb you will hopefully get done for tapping up by Porto and uefa then watch all the little chavs start supporting man city you fucking chav cd ski wankers no class no history
Graeme3

Only one flaw with this - It won't be Harry's decision!
Maysam

Tottenham will fall apart when the chance of assigning Harry to England Internaitonl Team increases ... Now Harry will leave for better deal while they stopped players to do so...
DAVspurs

If you listen to what Mancini is saying he had to purchased Hargreaves because of the fair play spending rules starting in June. I have heard a whisper City Liverpool Utd and Chelsea will be looked ta haed from now till January window and a trading ban could be implemented and two or more of these clubs could be eliminated from the Wembley bound champs league
Maysam

There are tons of way to escape from that ... That rule is a joke ... it is just good for French Frog Plattini ...
Graeme3

"Innquire about Modric" again - surely you'll just tap him up illegallly as you usually do?
Thfc123kandy

Fuck off you stupid cunt not for sale at any price means the same
Maysam

Keep him :) but make sure you do not waste your money on his Jersey ... :)