Aston Villa move for Tottenham defender Vedran Corluka as Spurs fear Croatian may become unsettled by Luka Modric saga

Vedran Corluka of Tottenham(getty Images)

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EXCLUSIVE
By Wayne Veysey | Chief Correspondent

Aston Villa have made a move for Tottenham defender Vedran Corluka – and are confident of getting him if Chelsea can force through a deal for his best friend Luka Modric, Goal.com can disclose.

Villa have enquired about Croatia international Corluka as they look for an answer to their problematic right-back position.

New manager Alex McLeish is also keen on Corluka’s Spurs team-mate and defensive rival Alan Hutton but Goal.com understands that he would prefer to land the Croatian.

The Midlands club have a hole to fill at right-back following the return of England Under-21 international Kyle Walker to White Hart Lane after his impressive loan spell at Villa last season.

The Spurs coaching staff anticipate that Walker will have a major role to play for the first team in the forthcoming season, with many expecting him to usurp Corluka as the club’s preferred right-back.

With the versatile Younes Kaboul also able to fill in on the right side of defence, at least one of the quartet is expected to be surplus to requirements.

Hutton has two years left on his contract and fell out with Spurs manager Harry Redknapp last season. But his hopes of a move have been hindered by chairman Daniel Levy’s £5 million price tag, which has put off some suitors.

Villa retain an interest in the Scotland international – McLeish also tried to buy Hutton when he was at Birmingham – but Corluka is regarded even more highly.

Redknapp is reluctant to allow the former Manchester City player to leave, although the situation may change if Chelsea are successful in their pursuit of Modric, who has made it clear he wants to join the west Londoners.

Chelsea have already made two bids for Modric of £22m and £27m, although £2m of that was performance-related, and are expected to table a third bid of around £30m. Spurs are adamant the playmaker will not be sold this summer and are refusing to negotiate with their London neighbours.

There are concerns at the club that Modric’s desire to leave will rub off on his best friend and ally.

“Corluka and Modric go everywhere together and, if one is unsettled, as Modric is, then it will have an effect on the other,” a Spurs source told Goal.com. “They are that close. Modric was influential in Corluka deciding to join Spurs in the first place and if he becomes unsettled by all the publicity surrounding Modric, then Villa will be more confident of getting him.”

However, Levy will want to recoup most of the £8.5m he spent on Corluka in 2008 and it is believed that it would take a bid of more than £7m for the Spurs chairman to do business.

Both Hutton and Corluka played 45 minutes apiece at right-back in Spurs’ opening pre-season fixture, a 1-0 defeat to Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa last Saturday.

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