Tottenham lining up bid for the next Luka Modric

Tottenham fans long for the days when Luka Modric controlled their midfield. Spurs may be preparing a bid for a player who can ultimately replace him.

It’s been several years since Luka Modric was Tottenham’s midfield maestro. Spurs fans still haven’t forgotten the mesmerizing effect he could have on a game. Perhaps that’s why the club are strongly considering making a £30 million bid for someone Jermain Defoe thinks could be the next Luka Modric.

The identity of that player, of course, is 21-year-old Bournemouth midfielder Lewis Cook. His name doesn’t roll off the tongue like Modric, but his game on the pitch can be just as smooth. Calling any young player the next Modric is clearly hyperbole, but with Cook, it does seem to be in the range of possibilities for his future.

As you might expect, Eddie Howe’s club aren’t keen on the idea of letting Cook go. They’d much prefer to hang on to him for another season or two. Unfortunately, the Cherries might feel compelled to let him go if Spurs blow them away with a massive financial offer. Various reports claim £30 million could be the magic number to force a move through.

That may seem like a hefty price for a young, relatively unproven player, but Cook does have one year of Premier League experience under his belt. He played 29 matches for the Cherries last season and posted a respectable Whoscored.com player rating average of 6.73.

Like Modric, Cook is a player who needs to rely on his finesse and guile in the midfield. He doesn’t have the size, strength or quickness to overpower Premier League opponents. At times, he can struggle to battle older, more mature players on the defensive end of the pitch.

That’s why, in part, a move to Tottenham seems a bit unlikely for Cook. He’s a terrific talent, but he does a lot of the same things Harry Winks’ does for Spurs. Pochettino seems to have a lot of confidence in Winks’ ability to recover from his ankle injury. It’s difficult to imagine the two players sharing the same midfield very often. Perhaps it could work in a three-man midfield alongside a powerful defensive midfielder, but it would still prove too slight against top-notch opponents.

There’s little question purchasing Lewis Cook at the aforementioned price would give Spurs good value, but it’s unclear how he might fit into the squad. Tottenham fans should monitor this story moving forward, but the odds of a move coming off in the next seven days are relatively low.