‘If Luka Modric leaves we are in trouble’ – Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp highlights importance of keeping Chelsea target

UEFA Champions League, Tottenham Hotspur and SV Werder Bremen, Luka Modric (Getty Images)

Related Links

Teams

Players

EXCLUSIVE
By Edward Tibbles & Clyde Tlou

Harry Redknapp insists Tottenham must keep hold of Luka Modric.

The Croatian has attracted the interest of Chelsea throughout the summer, with the Blues reportedly having an improved second offer of £27 million turned down by Spurs last week.

After Modric captained Tottenham to a 1-1 draw against South African side Orlando Pirates in a pre-season friendly on Tuesday, Redknapp insists his side cannot afford to let him leave.

Redknapp told Goal.com: “If he Modric leaves we are in trouble. He’s such a good player, we have to keep Modric.”

He added during a press conference: “We need Luka to stay because he is irreplaceable, a top, top player, great professional and great boy, and we really need to do our best to keep him at the club.

“We need to keep our best players, we can’t afford to lose our best players, that’s for sure.”

Redknapp also highlighted Modric’s importance to the club, and says the player will always be a “model professional”, despite reportedly handing in a transfer request.

The Spurs boss added: “When he came out there today he made such a difference to us. He is such a fantastic player; he gets on the ball and makes us play. He and Rafael van der Vaart are real quality, we need them for sure.

“It’s not the first time he’s been captain today, he captained the team in the Premier League when Michael Dawson didn’t start or Ledley King wasn’t there so it’s not a problem.

“Like I say, he’s a model professional in my opinion and always will be, he’s a great guy and a great player.”

Redknapp has expressed his desire to allow fringe players at the club to leave this summer, with Robbie Keane one of the stars deemed surplus to requirements at White Hart Lane.

The Tottenham manager added to Goal.com: “No, Robbie is available for transfer if someone wants to take him, he’s still a good player. But he’s still with us and while he’s with us he still has a chance of playing.”

But the Spurs boss is also looking at bolstering his squad before the end of the transfer window.

He said: “We’ll be okay, we need a couple of new players, two or three players with ability.

“We couldn’t afford Nasri’s wages, Manchester City offered him massive, fantastic wages and we couldn’t afford him.”

Our  provides the best breaking news online and our  football fan community is unmatched worldwide. Never miss a thing again!