Manchester United Transfers: 5 Reasons Why Luka Modric Would Be a Great Addition

Real Madrid’s acquisition of Luka Modric from Tottenham Hotspur for £33 million in August should have ended the persistent rumours that the diminutive Croatian might appear in the red of Manchester United at any point in the near future.

However, things haven’t gone according to plan for Modric at the Bernabeu. In fact, at the end of 2012, the readers of Spanish newspaper Marca labelled him the worst La Liga signing of the season.

Modric has since gained favour, though, by proving to be the catalyst in Madrid’s victory over Manchester United earlier this month, scoring the crucial equaliser that helped to knock the Red Devils out of Europe.

But he has still failed to usurp either Xabi Alonso or Mesut Ozil in the Madrid starting lineup and it is looking more and more likely that the Spanish behemoths will try to recoup some of the costs they splurged on him in the summer by selling him.

Sir Alex Ferguson has been a long admirer of Modric's talents, but he’ll have to battle hard for his signature as the likes of Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea will almost certainly be interested in acquiring his talents too.

However, Modric and United seem like a match made in heaven and now is the perfect time to bring him to the Theatre of Dreams.

Here are five reasons why the Croat would be a great addition to the Old Trafford roster.

Experience

Modric showed during his time with Tottenham that he is one of the most feared and complete central midfielders to ever the grace the Premier League.

Ferguson wouldn’t need to worry about whether or not he could adapt to the fast-paced and roughhousing style of the English game, as he repeatedly proved that he could handle any of the dirty tackles and underhanded tactics opponents used against him with ease.

During his time in North London, Modric dictated play for Spurs and emanated a calmness that helped to lead them to two fourth-place finishes in three seasons—characteristics that would innately suit United's style. 

Intelligence

Modric craves to be in possession and loves to influence the game from all areas of the pitch.

The Croat will glide across the field and slalom past the watchful eyes of his markers to receive the ball, before he then utilises his unique vision and technical ability to locate the perfect pass.

However, Modric also knows that he has a responsibility to track back, and if he were to sign for United, he would be the perfect man to ultimately replace the 31-year-old Michael Carrick, as they are both the same mould of player.

Modric has better dribbling ability and possesses more drive to his play than Carrick, who has never displayed these attributes on a regular basis. 

Something to Prove

Modric will be the first to admit that he has failed to replicate the form he produced in the white of Tottenham in the white of Madrid.  

He will also be feeling the burden more than anyone else at the club and will be in pain over his failure to influence proceedings in the Spanish capital.

If Jose Mourinho decides to sell Luka, then the Croat will feel aggrieved and look to prove to all of his doubters that he still possesses the skill and talent to excel with a member of the European elite.

Plus, the foxy cunning of Ferguson would surely be able to manifest this anger into pure footballing gold, which would only be a positive for United. 

Different Skill Set

The likes of Shinji Kagawa, Antonio Valencia, Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Ashley Young like to influence games in the offensive third of the pitch, where their clever touches and link-up play often result in either a goal or an opening.

However, when they have possession in the centre of the field or are even further back towards their own goal, they become more aware that an error could be brutally punished by the opposition.

Modric doesn't. Instead, he knows exactly where to dispatch the ball. However, I would expect the Croat to be deployed in a deeper position, supplying the names above—even though he could easily take up an attacking berth himself—and building play from deep.

Despite being great ballplayers, even Michael Carrick and Tom Cleverley can sometimes fail to build a rhythm from their half that might lead to a United attack, much like Paul Scholes has been doing for the last decade.

Like the ginger midfielder, Modric longs for possession and has the vision, skill and intelligence of a chess player.

Modric can reproduce Scholes’ technique of introducing short, intricate passes from deep to create a pace to the game that helps United forwards to flourish further on into the attack. Perfect examples of this were Scholes' second-half performances away at Chelsea in 2011/12 and Southampton in 2012/13.

Plus, if Scholes stays on as a coach or player next season, Modric will be able to learn this ability from the master. 

Perfect Timing

Modric is clearly a world-class midfielder, so if he was to stay at Madrid, surely at some point he would become good for the Spaniards.

Currently, there isn’t a place for the Croat in their starting lineup and the Madrid faithful are aggrieved that such a large sum was spent on a player who has only produced brief moments of quality.

If United were to put a bid in for him, Madrid might feel pressured to accept the offer, even though they know they would probably be making a mistake in letting him go.