Chelsea Transfer Rumors: Blues Have Shot at Luka Modric After Real Deal Stalls

John Cross, Modric is set to travel to Madrid later this week to conduct a medical physical prior to completing a £35 million deal with Real.

However, recent developments may suggest that the move is not as close as Mirror originally thought.

Steve Brenner of The Sun reported on Sunday that the discussions hit a snag on Friday after Spurs chief Daniel Levy asked for an additional £2 million.

Modric is still holding onto hope that he a deal will be done, according to a source close to him (via The Sun): “Luka is shocked by all of this. He is desperate for the move to go through and wants it sorted,” the source said.

If Levy is asking for more from Real, he’ll likely try to do the same to the Blues if they continue their pursuit of the Spurs’ prized midfielder.

In the end, Modric may wind up back at Tottenham if the deal falls through. This is mainly due to the unwillingness of Chelsea’s boss, Robert Di Matteo, to overpay for players.

"We're not going to pay over the top," Di Matteo said (via BBC Sport). "What we think is the real value for a player, we have paid."

Considering that the Blues have spent in excess of £60 million this summer, that seems prudent at this point.

Anything can happen, though, if Modric's Real Madrid deal does not go through.

While landing Modric will not make or break the Blues' season, it would certainly help bolster their midfield, as they hope to contend in the EPL this season. Things started off smooth for them in their opening match Sunday. They easily dispatched Wigan by a 2-0 mark.

Mike Hoag Jr. is a Trends and Traffic writer for Bleacher Report and also covers the Cleveland Browns and the NFL for the site. Follow him on Twitter @BigHoagowski.