Real Madrid: Why Luka Modric Should Reject Any Manchester United Move

What do you do if Thiago Alcantara, after a dragged out summer of talks, opts for Bayern Munich, via The Guardian, and another potential target, PSV's Kevin Strootman, via football-italia, appears close to joining Roma?

The club in question is obviously Manchester United, and the answer is to home in on Luka Modric, according to The Daily Star.

Real Madrid only signed the 27-year-old from Tottenham last summer and, with Modric thought to feature in new manager Carlo Ancelotti's plans, the club are in no rush to sell, although David Moyes seems set to test their resilience.

Via football-espana, around €35 million could be the first bid, with United hoping Madrid recruiting Isco and Asier Illarramendi will have pushed the Croatian down the pecking order.

Despite a testing start to his time in the Spanish capital—Marca readers voted him the worst signing of the season pre-Christmas, via The Daily Mail—Modric's class eventually shone through, and he ended the season as one of the club's best performers. 

Five of his six goals or assists came in the last 14 games of the La Liga season, as he ended the campaign starting 13 games and making one appearance from the bench.

And Squawka's performance stats show that he led Los Blancos in chances created (32), while maintaining an 89 percent pass completion rate—nearly 700 successful passes—across those 14 matches.

The way he ended the season, backed up with the data, suggests the signings of Illarramendi and Isco could be perfect for a player like Modric; a player who perhaps suits a more stylistic approach as opposed to a counter-attacking one.

That does bring the roles of Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira increasingly into question as well, though.

Alonso, who is yet to sign a new deal, could leave Madrid next summer, but Ancelotti may feel Illarramendi will benefit from a season training, playing and learning from the Spanish World Cup winner.

Ignoring Casemiro, who may find game time hard to come by, Madrid, depending on the formation their new coach adopts, are left with four central midfielders for the deeper roles—Modric, Illarra, Alonso and Khedira.

Two players for each position at a club with Madrid's stature is generally recommended.

On top of that, Modric could play further forward if needed, although with Isco and Mesut Ozil, his future at the Bernabeu makes sense to be behind the more attacking players.

Having won the fans, the media and the skeptics round, to leave that all behind now for another new challenge doesn't seem like the right choice for the Croatian.

Moyes and the English champions will undoubtedly be keen to dangle a more prominent role in front of him, presumably making him an essential part of their starting XI alongside Michael Carrick in the Old Trafford midfield.

Modric should resist any urges he may have to head back to England and continue the rapid progression he has show for Los Blancos since the calendar ticked in to 2013.

But if he does depart for the Premier League? Madrid's loss will certainly be United's gain.