Tottenham Ready to Sell Modric: What Spurs' New Stance Means for Them and Others

Luka Modric could finally be out the door at White Hart Lane.

The little Croatian playmaker has made his desire to leave Tottenham abundantly clear for over a year now, but Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has been very firm in his stance on not selling him but for a huge sum of money.

Now, ESPN reports that the club would be willing to part with the midfielder for £40 million, a price made all the more significant by the fact that the Spurs would not sell him to Chelsea for that price a year ago.

The change of heart from Tottenham is explained by an ESPN insider this way:

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"The feeling is that Modric, no matter how talented, doesn't score enough goals from his position. It has been suggested that Real Madrid are after him, but I am not so sure. It sounds more like clubs are being alerted that Modric can now be bought."

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If this report is true, though, there is clearly one factor behind the decision.

You see, the consensus on Modric's play is that he is one of the most creative and useful midfielders in the world. Even last year, it was new Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas trying to lure him to Stamford Bridge. Seeing as AVB is now the one pulling all the strings at White Hart Lane, the suggestion that the move is being done for on-pitch issues is probably, at best, over-exaggerated.

No, if Spurs are willing to get rid of Modric, it is for the off-field problems his position has the potential to cause.

Last season, AVB had a terrible experience at Chelsea, losing control of the locker room and having the majority of his squad turn against him. As a result, it is understandable that the Portuguese manager would only want players that are ready and willing to play for him.

In the case of Luka, Spurs have a midfielder who has consistently asked for the exit, a condition that has been known to be contagious in a locker room. Thus, no matter how great Modric's performances on the pitch, having him around the squad is a risk Villas-Boas is not willing to take.

This shows a huge reversal in Tottenham's tactics in dealing with their players.

Over the past few years with Harry Redknapp in charge, the club dealt with players who wanted to leave with a heavy hand, at times refusing to let them leave.

If this is a precedent for the future, the club's new stance under AVB may be one of zero-tolerance, sending players away for hinting at an exit and buying new ones to replace them.

In the short term, this would mean that a sale of Rafael van der Vaart should be expected soon.

As for other clubs, this is big news for a few European giants.

Last year, Manchester United and Chelsea had interest in Modric, while Real Madrid joined the bidding this year.

It is questionable whether £40 million is a price any of them will be willing to pay at this point in time, but these and other clubs should be on high alert.

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