The Luka Modric Plot Thickens: £40M?!

Turns out if I'd waited ten more minutes to write that Luka Modric update post, it would have been considerably shorter. At the very least, it would have been radically different, because the hot new rumour is that Modric has totally refused a new deal with Tottenham Hotspur and is insistent on a move to Chelsea. Actually, said rumour is twofold - it also states that Chelsea are 'preparing' to offer a mind-blowing £40M to Spurs for the soon-to-be-26-year-old.

At this point, I'd like to stress that it's the Telegraph insisting that both of these things are true, so there's a very good chance that neither is. The £40M figure in particular strikes me as monumentally insane, and as that's the more speculative of their claims it's even less believable than that Modric stormed out of White Hart Lane following his much-publicised meeting with Daniel Levy. Anyway, I find a £40M bid almost impossible to believe - it would be an absolutely monstrous overpay on Chelsea's part - so I'm choosing not to.

And now the Guardian are throwing some water over the Telegraph's story, writing that Harry Redknapp has claimed that Modric will stay in their latest match report. They also called one of the dullest games of the year 'exciting', so I would probably question them as well, although at least the Guardian has a source. At any rate, we have absolutely no idea what's going on, but we're left with a bunch of even crazier rumours than usual.

£40M?! Really?

PS: And here's Andre Villas-Boas not not talking about Modric:

We are short in midfield in terms of numbers. I am not going to wait for a specific player until 31 August. I will bring somebody in.

-Source: Mail.

The plot is thickening, and thickening fast.