Tottenham Hotspur: Luka Modric Goes over Redknapp's Head in Levy Meeting

Amidst a variety of highly publicized statements from Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric expressing a strong desire to disregard the remaining five years of his contract and move away from North London, the club has confirmed a scheduled meeting between the young star and Spurs chairman Daniel Levy on Thursday to discuss his future with, or away from, the club.

As club manager Harry Redknapp continues to state that he will not be involved in the selling of essential personnel, recently announcing "if we want to continue to challenge the top clubs in the Premier League then we simply have to get stronger—not weaker," it is unclear whether or not the meeting is an attempt by Modric to go over Redknapp's head to try and secure a transfer.

After weeks of being linked to the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City, the Croatian has most recently expressed interest in a move to Chelsea, stating "I would like to go to Chelsea. A lot of players would like to go there and play for Chelsea because it is one of the best clubs in the world, and so do I."

Modric has suggested that the meeting comes on the heels of an agreement with Levy to begin entertaining transfer offers, but that has yet to be seen or confirmed.

The events that follow this news will depend heavily on whether or not Redknapp and Levy are on the same page (and if they are not, the impact that this will have on their business relationship will be very poor, indeed). If they are, then the end of the Luka Modric transfer saga could be near, as Levy could easily force Modric, in a face-to-face discussion, to honor his contract with the Spurs. In many ways, Daniel Levy is Modric's last option, and his ability to manipulate the situation will be severely limited if Levy squashes any further talk of Modric leaving the club.

On the other hand, Levy could just as easily be entering the confrontation fully prepared to accept that Modric no longer wishes to play for the club, and could therefore be entering the coming campaign with a level of animosity that could potentially translate to poor performances on the pitch.

In any case, the Spurs have made it clear that, as it currently stands, their interest in selling Modric is irrelevant given the club's opinion that Chelsea's initial offers are far too low, anyway.

It's important to recognize that the meeting is in no way indicative of an imminent transfer in the coming weeks. But, as the drama continues to circulate within the Tottenham ranks, the potential for damage grows by the day. Even if Modric stays, his relationship with Redknapp could take a serious blow for going over his head that will land him out of favor with the Spurs boss, who holds Modric's career more securely in his own hands than anybody else.

And yet, it seems highly unlikely that any amount of animosity could force Redknapp to disallow such a talented player from a starting position. No matter what comes out of Thursday's meeting, it will be immensely important for all parties to accept the results and move on as quickly as possible.