Some More Thoughts On Luka Modric

I had been travelling all day as I continue my merry jaunt about England, and was pleasantly surprised that I didn't actually miss very much news. There's some information about our Belgian targets that's kind of neat (and I'll get that up later), but I live in something approximating constant fear that we'll announce Guus Hiddink to manage the team and sign Neymar while I'm stuck in the infinite misery that is the Elephant and Castle tube stop while carrying several ice ages worth of supplies in suitcase form, and we, apparently, had none of that.

And then the Luka Modric 'I want to join Chelsea' story broke. Right. There are a number of things that should be talked about here, so let's dig in.

Is he a fit? This is the easiest question: Yes. Modric has a strong claim to be part of a first-choice Premier League midfield and if not for the presence of Barcelona might make it into an all-world lineup. His play is something the likes of which we haven't seen since Deco was at the Bridge, except Modric is still good. He knows the league, can play the sort of pass that we can't do unless an eighteen-year-old is on the pitch and is underrated in other assets of his game, too. He is super-neat.

Is the price right? It depends. Tottenham Hotspur have rejected £22M as being rather silly, and I'm inclined to agree with them considering they paid £16M to Dinamo Zagreb 36 months ago to have Modric join them in the first place, whereupon he has blossomed even further into the midfield ace he is today. As long as we don't stray too far above £30M, I think I'm fairly happy.

How do you feel about poaching everyone else's best players, you bastard? I don't know? Mostly good, I guess. We're on Modric's radar because we're one of the best teams in the Premier League and a major force in Europe. If that makes us soulless and evil, so be it. I didn't ask for my club to become a behemoth in the transfer market, but I'm going to enjoy things while they last.

Where does he fit? My guess is that he'd fit best into a 4-2-3-1 system as a playmaker alongside Ramires in a double pivot, but that might all be moot if Chelsea make more signings as expected this summer. The places of Michael Essien, Frank Lampard and John Obi Mikel are all under threat if this move goes through, for various reasons. Modric is clearly a first-choice player in this Chelsea midfield, though.

All in all, I think that rounds things up. Right now we don't really know what's going to happen, but if we do somehow acquire Modric without spending enough to feed a small country two small countries, this would be our best piece of transfer news in several years. And I say that as a man who loves David Luiz like I am gay and we are in love.