Luka Modric plans to leave Real Madrid this summer and could be on his way back to the Premier League with former club Tottenham Hotspur, according to Spanish football outlet Diario Gol.
The report claims that the Croatia legend has told those close to him that he is ready to depart Los Blancos, six years after joining them for a fee of £30 million from Spurs.
There would likely be no shortage of takers for the midfield technician, with Liverpool and Arsenal both mentioned as potential destinations.
It is thought that Modric would prefer to live in London and Tottenham may feel that they have the edge given the four seasons he spent at White Hart Lane earlier in his career.
After arriving from Dinamo Zagreb in the summer of 2008, the playmaker went on to become a key member of the Lilywhites’ setup and in 2010 helped the club qualify for the Champions League, the first time they had played in Europe’s top competition since the 1961-62 campaign.
That blueprint for success has been continued under the management of Mauricio Pochettino and at present Spurs look on course to finish in the top four for a third successive season.
At 32 years of age Modric is not quite the force of old and perhaps tellingly he was left out of the starting line-up for Madrid’s recent Champions League last-16 second-leg win over Paris Saint-Germain.
Nonetheless, he has a proven track record in England and would certainly add quality to a Tottenham midfield that already contains the likes of Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli and Mousa Dembele.
Modric could also add a winning mentality that was perhaps lacking in the defeat to Juventus earlier this week, although the North Londoners bounced back from that disappointment to overturn Bournemouth 4-1 on Sunday afternoon.
Goals from Alli, Son Heung-min (2) and Serge Aurier helped the visitors to a comfortable victory marred only by the loss of Harry Kane to injury in the opening period.