Tottenham Stands to Benefit from a Longer Luka Modric Transfer Saga

Tottenham’s biggest transfer news of the summer has been the ongoing speculation of when and where Luka Modric will depart to.

Real Madrid, PSG, Manchester United and Chelsea have been the only teams ever realistically linked to the Croatian.

The former two have been the main culprits in the chase this summer, with repeated reports that a deal to Spain is all but signed and sealed.

Something, however, keeps the process from rumbling on to completion.

It is, perhaps, telling that Andre Villas-Boas seems inclined to let the player go, but has stated only for the €45 million asking price.

As recorded in the Telegraph, amongst others:

"

There has been continuous interest from three different clubs in Luka, said Villas-Boas. But it is important for Tottenham to hold onto their rights. His situation will continue as it is until the price is right.

 It’s important to understand his feelings. We have been speaking and I understand his point and he understands the club’s point.

Luka is an intelligent person and understands the club has to defend his value their values, rights and interests.

….

But the offer has not been met to what the chairman wants. If that is met there won’t be any problems.

"

Usually, protracted transfers favor the clubs looking to buy when a player wants to leave.

By playing the waiting game, the club looking to purchase can usually whittle away cash from the asking price until they get the best possible deal.

In Tottenham’s case, the opposite might prove true here.

With Madrid and PSG both very interested in the player (and both with gobs of cash on hand), Tottenham stand to benefit by standing firm.

Even if the Paris outfit have thrown €65 million at two players, another €45 million is not anywhere near out of the realm of possibilities due to the Qatari backing the club has.

Madrid, of course, think they have the deal done but are trying to squeeze the price through add-ons and later payments.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy and Villas-Boas seem to be on the same page on the issue and as the manager states his position, it is one that reinforces Levy’s hold on negotiations.

Villas-Boas’ comments also seem, though not directly stated, to be willing to let all other parties swing and miss if need be.

Because of the fact that there are multiple squads interested, Modric does not have quite the leeway that a player normally would in a one club transfer race.

If PSG, for example, were to stump up the cash, it would force the decision to be on Modric and not Spurs.

And considering that the transfers of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva are done, PSG now has nothing else to deal with at the moment.

If Carlo Ancelotti can convince the owners that Modric is there for the taking, the Parisians could nip in.

It would certainly get Madrid’s attention if PSG came knocking with the money in hand that Tottenham want.

Madrid would surely think they have an inside leg on proceedings but if the valuation is not there, Levy probably has the encouragement to keep fighting on.

Had Villas-Boas said publicly to get Modric on his way to free up the funds, this entire event would probably be long done and dusted.

It might be that reported details of the contract have hung up negotiations to where they are now.

Metro pointed out that Madrid would rather not pay straight up cash, preferring to move either Nuri Sahin or Ricardo Carvalho on as part of the deal.

While players in return might make sense to a certain degree, Sahin does not seem to want to join in. (Though, why he thinks he will be getting a run in Madrid’s first team is a mystery).

Spurs also don’t want an aging defender like Carvalho (they have plenty of old defenders, thank you) and are thus at a bit of an impasse.

It would appear then that money will have to talk with regards to Modric.

And if that’s the case, Tottenham stand to be beneficiaries regardless of which direction Modric heads.