Modric keeping options open

06 July 2011 18:00

Luka Modric headed to London for showdown talks with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy on Wednesday insisting that a transfer to Chelsea is still possible.

Modric boarded a flight to London from Zagreb this afternoon ahead of a meeting he has scheduled with his agent and Levy. Shortly after rejecting a £22million bid from Chelsea for Croatia international Modric, Levy issued a statement insisting that the Spurs playmaker is not for sale at any price.

Modric himself gave little away as he waited to board the plane in his homeland, saying: "Today I have a flight to London and tomorrow I start training. I have an appointment to meet the chairman, but we will see." But when asked about the possibility of joining Chelsea, Modric said: "Anything is possible."

It is understood that Levy is determined to hang on to the 25-year-old, who was a key part of Tottenham's European and domestic campaigns last term, regardless of whether he wants to leave.

Modric spoke of Chelsea in glowing terms when he went on the record to talk about his desire to move to Stamford Bridge last month, describing the Blues as a "great" and "ambitious" club capable of competing for silverware.

The mere suggestion that he would not be able to fulfil his ambitions at White Hart Lane has infuriated Spurs fans, but despite their angst, Levy is determined not to sell him.

The Tottenham chairman is conscious of the effect that selling Modric could have on the team given that he played such an important role in the club's remarkable run to the Champions League quarter-finals last term.

He could offer Modric a new contract to persuade him to stay, despite the former Dinamo Zagreb player being just 12 months into a six-year contract he signed in 2010.

The diminutive midfielder scored just four goals last season, but provided countless assists and performed tirelessly, reportedly attracting the attention of Manchester United as well as Chelsea in the process.

Source: PA