Real Madrid may be sending a former Tottenham star back to North London in January. It’s not Gareth Bale, but rather Luka Modric who could go back to Spurs.
The idea of Gareth Bale returning to Tottenham has been a regular rumour for Spurs fans ever since he left the club. The idea of Luka Modric coming back to North London hasn’t received nearly as much attention. According to reports in Spain, Modric could be the former Tottenham man returning to Hotspur Way in January.
El Desmarque is carrying the exclusive story that claims that Real Madrid are “considering” a January swap deal that would land them Christian Eriksen in exchange for their Croatian midfielder. Eriksen, of course, is out of contract with Spurs at the end of the current campaign. He would, however, be interested in moving to the Spanish capital early if at all possible.
The ramifications of such a sensational swap deal are pretty interesting for both clubs. Real Madrid would obviously be in favour of the move because it would allow them to get younger in the midfield. Modric is already 34-years-old which means his time as a regular member of Los Blancos’ starting XI will be over soon. Eriksen is just 27 which would give him several more years in his prime to ply his trade for Real Madrid.
It’s a tougher sell from the Tottenham perspective. Getting a 34-year-old midfielder in exchange for Eriksen isn’t the best case scenario for Mauricio Pochettino and company. On the other hand, it’s not the worst return possible either. If Eriksen doesn’t get a move he approves of in January he can simply walk away from Spurs for nothing when the summer arrives. That is a nightmare scenario for Daniel Levy and the higher-ups at Tottenham.
The real question here is whether or not Pochettino believes Modric can come right into his starting XI and meaningfully improve Tottenham’s prospects for this season. That’s a question only Pochettino can answer. Modric certainly has the passing ability to unlock teams who try to sit back and park the bus against Spurs, but he would also be a defensive liability for the club against high-level opposition.
In the end, this deal is unlikely to come off, but it’s certainly not impossible. Tottenham fans who still harbor a grudge against Modric for the way he left Spurs might want to start working through those issues. There is a chance the Croatian maestro will play his football in North London again in January.