Chelsea have been among European football's biggest spenders for much of the 21st century but one failed deal more than a decade ago could be the one that got away
Luka Modric playing for Tottenham in 2011
Luka Modric was denied a move from Tottenham to Chelsea in 2011
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Former Tottenham and Real Madrid star Luka Modric claims he wanted to join Chelsea before Los Blancos came calling. Modric spent more than a decade at the Bernabeu, winning the Ballon d'Or in 2018, but might never had made the move were it not for Spurs blocking a Premier League switch.
It was in 2011 that the Croatia international indicated a desire to move to Stamford Bridge. Spurs and Chelsea didn't reach any agreement, though, and he remained at White Hart Lane for the 2011/12 season.
He starred on a personal level as Spurs finished fourth in the league, only missing out on Champions League qualification because sixth-place finishers Chelsea were crowned European champions. It was enough to convince Madrid to dip into their pockets, forking out £33million, and the rest was history.
"Perhaps I shouldn't have said so publicly that I wanted to leave," Modric told Croatian show Neuspjeh prvaka (via ESPN)."Even so, I did very well at Tottenham.
"They were very tough on me, and the chairman, Daniel Levy, made it crystal clear in our first meeting [that] there was absolutely no chance they would let me go. After that, I carried on as if nothing had happened. I knew it would be complicated; both clubs are in London, and there's a rivalry."
The failed Chelsea move ended up as a blessing in disguise. He reflected on the 2011/12 campaign as one of the best of his career, setting himself up for a move which wasn't on the radar when he first pushed to leave North London.
"The season was phenomenal, and a year later, an even better opportunity came along," he added. "And in the end, it worked out even better; probably if I had joined to Chelsea, I wouldn't have gone to Real Madrid."
Luka Modric celebrating his Ballon d'Or win in 2018
Modric celebrating his Ballon d'Or win in 2018
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Chelsea might have won the Champions League without Modric in 2012, but he would go on to lift the trophy six times in Madrid colours. One of those triumphs came in 2018, the same year in which he helped Croatia reach the World Cup final, and he was rewarded for his exploits with the Ballon d'Or.
Modric, who turned 40 in September, left Spain and joined AC Milan over the summer. His goal against Bologna five days after his birthday made him the oldest Serie A scorer this season and the fourth-oldest this century after Fabio Quagliarella, Alessandro Costacurta and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
"Over these past few months, I've been impressed by the humility and attitude he's shown since arriving," manager Max Allegri said of Modric in November. "He was ready to contribute from day one. He's playing a different role than usual, but he's handling it brilliantly because he's intelligent enough to read the game ahead."
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