Chelsea News 24/7Writer: Merlin 
Date:Tuesday January 1 2013
Time: 11:35AM
UK time is: 22:33:32
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A Lucky Escape?
Does anyone remember the clamour for Chelsea Football Club to break the bank to sign Luka Modric?
It wasn`t that long ago that Chelsea appeared to be in daily contact with Spurs increasing the bid to a bedazzling level to try and entice Daniel Levy into selling the Croat to us.
As it turned out, that summer nothing happened, our attempts at buying the player were thwarted and he stayed with Spurs.
The following summer was different though, Spurs were enticed to sell and Modric went to real Madrid where it was predicted he`d become a superstar.
Well apparently not!
It appears he move hasn`t quite paid off for Modric with the Croat being given just 8 league starts and notching 1 goal.
In fact his spell at Real Madrid has been so disappointing that the Spanish sports paper Marca has voted him La Liga`s biggest transfer flop of 2012!
A lucky escape anyone?
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Your Comments
Perhaps madrid could sell him back to us for a pittance? Id like to see Levy's face if that ever happens.
He is still a top player though...
3nity
don't worry tores is the worst transfer flop of all time. Luka could have done better at chelsea as he had little competition and his position is still vacant here. Don't mind a bid of 10 million to allow madrid to cut their losses.
Blue India
No way! We already gt a better player in oscar and harzard
Seunayo
Feel reaally bad for modders..still a good player...its just that Real Madrid has done the same thing to plenty world class players (Sniejder, Robben, e.t.c)..If he becomes available soon in a cheap cut price deal say 15m (i know i am dreaming)...he could be an option for us as a deep lying playmaker in the double pivot. Fact that a player does not hit it in Madrid does not mean they are not good, some players who found it tough there had moved on to have brilliant careers elsewhere...
layorh12
I agreed to take him as both Hazard and Oscar is not a deep lying playmaker which we are still craving... He will inject a different momentum into our lineup and I hope we could get into a negotiation table with Madrid....
DrWatsons
getting him now on the cheap will be a nice deal for us, i must confess he will still regain his best form with us
Ikdaniels
Even if we paid 30m for him, there is no pleasure than seeing levy,s face when he wears the blue jersey.
Dwonder
I agree with layorh12, he made a nice statement on players flopping in madrid, van der vaart, schneijder, negredo, samuel eto, etc, its not a bad thing not to click in madrid and let us know that if he had stayed in the EPL, he might have continued in the same vein as how he was with tottenham, modric is a fantastic player and his last euro performance is another testimony of that, if we can loan him for the remainder of the season for about €1m, I won't even mind!!! He is that good on his day!!!
Desmondadonis
There are players who are bet suited to certain team styles and modric is that kind of player. I knew he would barely get any playing time at Real and even when he does he is a peripheral figure. This guy has to compete with guys like Alonso, Khadera, Kaka for a place in their central midfield. Desmond and layorh make valid points about many players who "flopped" at Real only to emerge when they moved elsewhere. Unless i am mistaken though Sam Eto never played for Real.
GabeU
we have KDB....brilliant passing,long balls,long shots and he's so young
raghavgurbaxani1994
we have KDB....brilliant passing,long balls,long shots and he's so young
raghavgurbaxani1994
KDB is still young and his best position is not on pivot.... I would love to get Modric for us....
DrWatsons
Cant believe we bid £40mil for modders and levy turned it down,thanks mr levy from saving from gettin mugged after we were conned by liverpool to pay £50mil for a crybaby
Ken4CFC
He is still a good player.
B2K420
@gabeu, sorry I didn't clarify better, samuel eto played for madrid albeit he didn't really have any impact with the senior team, same with juan mata
Here is proof...
worldsoccer.about.com/od/players/a/etooprofile.htm
As u'll see from 1997-2000 my dear friend
Desmondadonis
KDB can replace lamps when he goes, I really like the lad and his obvious talent!! He is also a hard worker, I hope he excels in a chelsea shirt
Desmondadonis
Unlike the sentiments above, i would say spurs not selling to us was a big lucky escape. Modric is a top player and i was among those that championed for his signing but i also said at the time that spurs turning our 40mil down was a big lucky escape for us. He is now around 27years, is a smallish player and even though his creative strength is never in doubt, his lack of physicality can affect his impact on games especially against physical sides. Besides he will never come cheap unlike sahin cos he cost madrid a fortune to acquire. Considering we already have enough players in our starting lineup who lack height and physicality, I would rather our board focus more on a deep playmaker with physicality and strength that can help the team to be more balanced.
Chelz Akamz
that the big problem at real madrid....so many top player went there and lost in the crowd....modric is a good player but now we have good good player like oscar josh kdb who can take that position if worked well by a good coach....his bad luck...but the biggest FLOP in the whole universe is our TORRES....and no body can beat him not even aliens...
shlok27
I wanted him then and I would welcome him now. Modders is just what we need - a deep lying playmaker and an exceptional one at that.
ForeverChels
Definitely not in my opinion. I still think Modric is awesome. I've seen four or five of his Madrid games and he bosses them in the brief period he has on the pitch. But as Layorh says, Modric being a flop is totally madrid's doing, not Modric's shortcomings as far as I can see. Ignoring the whole 'what would happen to Ramires/Mceachran/Chalobah malarky for a minute, i'd still take Modric at Chelsea. He's a fine player, and Madrid need to start realising that and playing him more often.
hazzabee
Well said @chelz akamz,we already have enough midgets in our team,what we need now is height and physicality
Ken4CFC
i would love us to try and sign modric this january! he would be ideal in the deep lying playmaker rold in our team as he did it so well for spurs in the last few years. great player and would love to see him back in the EPL
Dave-David
Mourinho effect really, he doesn't know how to effectively use talent
@Mq
Besides, he was bought to be a sub (Ozil's sub) so its unfair to suggest he has been a flop
@Mq
@mq very well said.
layorh12
@Mq I agree. Mourinho's rigid, mechanical football does not suit players like Modric.
foreign_viewer
Another reason why dont want Mourinho at chelsea...he wont use the squad very effectively....he simply buys players, but dont know how to use them...
Blu_run
Modric is still a good player...but we dont need to bid for him...we should move forward and get KDB developed for that role...He is ready for DLP role, if he can improve his tackling attribute...he presses the ball, but seldoms wins it...His success in tackling, winning balls are very low in the range of 20-25%...need to improve there...if he learns that in WB this season, we are ready for him next yr...in recent matches, i have seen him improving vastly in the defensive area...good sign
Blu_run
I've watched a few Madrid games where Modric started or came in as a sub,and he played exceptionally well in most,he is still a top quality player. Modric has never been the type to grace the stats with top records,of assist and goals but he keeps the Midfield ticking,you can only see his impact when you watch him play. Do I agree with Marca? No...That award would probably go to Song of Barcelona.
nelyvanile
Its quite unfair to consider Luka a flop at Madrid going by the fact that the situation there; the style of play,team congestion and coaches mentality,does not favour him. To me,Modric is a classic player and it is only a matter of time before Juve will go for him as Pirlo's replacement.
Ohans
From my own perspective i do not think we have any need for Modric any more, we have more versatile players who would fill that role conveniently now in Oscar and Mata. with good vision not to talk about upcoming josh. I still believe josh wil get his chance one day.
oohrhii
You guys are saying all these things because you like Luka Modric, I have also watched some matches for Madrid where he performed below expectation, and for the records like I use to say in the past Chelsea don't need him then and now, throughout his stay in England no season did he score or create scoring chances as much as Lampard so tell me why we need him? What we need now is a midfield enforcer like some people has said one who is big and strong and can stamp his authority in the middle like Felliani or Victor Wayama or even Alex Song if Barcelona will let him go.
sojofjand
Alex song? Hmmmm
prince china
Alex song? Hmmmm
prince china
I'm not entirely sure what Real Madrid was thinking when they paid so much for him. Modric is a very good player, but he isn't really needed there. If you play him in an advanced role, you'd likely have to remove Ozil. If you play him deeper you either remove Xabi Alonso or one of their DMs, presumably Khedira.
RadioactiveD
What Marca said is an overstatement. Although he is still adapting to La Liga, and his goals/assists ratios are not high (as they actually never are), he is still a great player and a great addition to the RM squad. Don't forget that he had almost no pre season training before joining Madrid.
zg2000fs
Some times things work out for the best. If we splashed out £40m spuds were wanting 2 seasons ago, or £45m for Pastore from Palermo we would have never seen the genius that is here today in Juan Mata. Even worse, imagine if we decided to splash out the £35m on Adriano in 2003 or the £20m on Robinho in 2009... Paying over the odds is rarely is the right the answer, just ask fergie!
Ess...DaBison
Fergie? You can't be serious.
RadioactiveD
If there was some way we could get Luka for a reduced fee.... I would take it. He is a quality player and we could really do with him.
had2bg
Maybe if he comes in cheap, else no way. We just moved on fine, though I wonder what would have happened were we to get him on the first try
Kendemsblue
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