Manchester United Transfer Rumours: United Weighing Up Bid for Luka Modric

The Daily Mail have reported that Manchester United are looking to make a £22 million bid for Tottenham Hotspur and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric.

The Croat has been the main transfer target of a variety of Premier League sides over the past few years, but now it seems as if United want to try their luck at signing the 26-year-old.

Having already worked out an agreement with Borussia Dortmund to bring Japan international Shinji Kagawa to Old Trafford this summer, the addition of another attack-minded central midfielder would all but eliminate the problem that United have been suffering heavily from over the past half-a-decade or so.

This wouldn't be the first time that Sir Alex has splashed the cash in order to bring in a big name from White Hart Lane, either.

Just four years ago, United shipped out £33 million to bring striker Dimitar Berbatov to Manchester.

Now it seems as if a similar deal may be struck for the plucky little midfielder, who has on more than one occasion been the bane of all the top English side's defences.

The move for Modric calls into question whether or not United will splash out for 18-year-old Crewe Alexandra star Nick Powell.

The Red Devils have a habit of bringing players up through their youth system into the first team. As such, the signing of Powell could eventually prove to be a fruitful one.

However, the question remains as to whether Sir Alex believes the wiser choice is to bring in the experienced and immediate skills of Modric, or wait a few years for Powell to develop.

Given that this is the one area of United's team that has taken the most criticism in recent years, my gut tells me that Fergie will plump for the first option if possible—quietening the critics as soon as he can.

The signing of Modric would also allow for Kagawa to adjust to the English league without all the attention being on his shoulders.

Modric is a proven Premier League player, and although any move to a big club walks hand in hand with pressure, he should be able to draw glaring eyes away from Shinji should he initially struggle.

This is, of course, a negative outlook to take, but one has to be realistic.

It's never easy to move from one league to another—just look at the likes of Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Owen.

Modric, however, knows how the English League plays, and can offer valuable advice to a teammate who perhaps needs schooling on the subject.

All in all, this would be a terrific signing for United, possibly even ironically making the centre of midfield United's greatest asset.

This is all speculation for now, but rumours like this usually have a habit of manifesting into something more serious.

This could be a very interesting summer.