‘If Tottenham sell Luka Modric it sends out a message that Gareth Bale could leave’ – Harry Redknapp says club cannot afford to sell star players

Harry Redknapp, manager of Tottenham Hotspur

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Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has reiterated his desire to keep Luka Modric despite the midfielder admitting that he wants a move to rivals Chelsea.

Modric stunned the club last week when he announced his intention to leave the club with Chelsea making a formal approach for the player.

Redknapp ridiculed the £22 million bid from Chelsea, with the Blues reportedly readying a new bid for the Croatian.

However, Redknapp is adamant that Modric will not be sold and feels Tottenham must hang onto, and complement, their star players if they are to compete for honours.

He told The Sun: “If Tottenham sell Luka then I feel it sends out a message that maybe Gareth Bale could leave and no one wants either to happen.

“I have seen that sort of thing before. West Ham decided to sell Rio Ferdinand and then all of a sudden they all seemed to go. That’s no good for any club.

“Tottenham need to keep their best players as well as add more quality to the squad if they want to mount a serious challenge for the title.

“Other top clubs raise the bar all the time and Spurs must keep pace. It’s as simple as that.”

He added: “Luka wants to be successful and if we can improve the squad then he can achieve that with us.

“I don’t envisage a problem with Luka. You could not meet a more professional man or a nicer person.

“It is so important for the club to keep him. I think we have to show him our ambition, which we will do.

“If we can add one or two good players to our squad there’s no reason we can’t have another great season. So Tottenham could be a great club for him to stay with for the next few years.