How Luka Modric's Contribution Makes him Tottenham's Irreplaceable Asset

A whirlwind weekend for Tottenham has seen the talismanic Luka Modric admit he wants a move away from White Hart Lane, which has subsequently been met with blunt rejection from both manager Harry Redknapp and chairman Daniel Levy.

The Croatian was the subject of a £22 million bid from Chelsea – the club he conceded was his preference given both their location and their Champions League status – but the offer was branded as ‘ridiculous’ by Redknapp, and rightly so.

Given the inflated nature of the transfer market, which has valued Liverpool’s latest acquisition, Jordan Henderson, at a reported £20m, the Spurs midfielder’s influence at White Hart Lane makes his price tag astronomical.

Upon arriving from Dinamo Zagreb in 2008, Modric originally was a trequartista, a forward, attacking midfielder who would support the striker high up the pitch. Last season saw his transformation complete as he flourished in his regista role, a deep-lying playmaker who conducts the basis of attacks, rather than spearheads them.

His deeper position on the field has dented both his scoring and assist tally. The Croatian netted just three times in the league, while setting up two goals for his team-mates. His shot- per-game count was also fairly low for a midfielder at just 1.2.

But that is where the statistics cease in proving how little Modric contributes to Tottenham’s attack. Orchestrating the play from his deeper position, the midfielder averaged 2.06 key passes per game, quite a feat when his advanced team-mate, Rafael van der Vaart, registered a marginally higher 2.39. Modric, however, trumped the Dutchman slightly with a pass accuracy rate of 87% to 84%.

The Croatian continues to prove his all-round game statistically, as he averaged six successful long passes per game for Spurs, a count which only Tom Huddlestone bettered.

Modric even outshone the PFA player of the year, Gareth Bale, with a successful dribble count of 2.2, with the Welshman registering a count of 2.1.

Redknapp’s crown jewel also exhibited a willingness and a competence to help Tottenham out defensively, as his 2.5 interceptions per game was bettered only by left-back Benoit Assou-Ekotto, while his average tackle count of 1.9 per match is a respectable statistic for a player who was once entrusted to conjure attacks in the opponents third.

Redknapp has rightly insisted that if Tottenham are to progress and remain in contention of sealing a Champions League place, the club should not be selling their best players. The departure of Modric would hinder any evolvement of a side looking to rub shoulders once more with Europe’s elite.

£22m was never going to lure the Croatian away from White Hart Lane, judging by how Modric influenced Tottenham last term from such a deep role, and the need for Chelsea to sign a player who will force Fernando Torres to shine in attack, we could see the British record transfer fee smashed once again by the Stamford Bridge bankroll.