Luka Modric
December 2025
Tottenham’s 2011 refusal to sell Luka Modric to Chelsea, despite repeated bids and his public desire to leave, forced him to stay another season, deliver a standout campaign and ultimately paved the way for his 2012 Real Madrid move that defined his legacy. Modric admits going public was a mistake but says he responded professionally, playing on “as if nothing had happened”, helping Spurs finish fourth before Madrid came calling a year later; in hindsight, he believes missing out on Chelsea was the twist that changed everything