Chelsea manager Villas-Boas weighs up third bid for Spurs star Modric
By Matt Barlow
Last updated at 6:51 PM on 31st July 2011
Chelsea are preparing to make another raid on Tottenham with a bid approaching £30million for Luka Modric.
Spurs are desperate to hang on to Modric, who did not play in the 3-2 win at Brighton on Saturday, and has made it clear he would like to move across London.
Harry Redknapp insists the Croatia midfielder was absent due to illness at Brighton but Chelsea returned from their two-week tour of Asia with chief executive Ron Gourlay, who sanctioned a £27m approach last month, ready to put the final touches to another offer.
Third time lucky? Chelsea are weighing up a fresh bid for Luka Modric (left)
Third time lucky? Chelsea are weighing up a fresh bid for Luka Modric (left)
Gourlay, when asked about the club’s transfer plans, said: ‘I don’t like talking about players from other clubs but that’s something we’ll look at during the week and we’ll take it from there.
Decision time: Andre Villas-Boas
Decision time: Andre Villas-Boas
‘We really need to sit down with Andre Villas-Boas and talk this through.
Even though we’ve been travelling away you can still be active in the market place. The communication is always there with our guys back in London or wherever they are at the present time around the world.’
Chelsea have yet to make a major move in the market this summer with signings limited to highly rated teenagers Oriol Romeu from Barcelona and Thibaut Courtois from Genk.
New manager Villas-Boas wanted to use the first five friendlies of pre-season, including the four on tour, to examine the strength and balance of the squad.
He has been pleased with the progress from his team, who won all five games, scoring a dozen goals and conceding none, albeit often against poor opposition.
On Saturday they lifted the Barclays Asia Trophy with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa, Josh McEachran scoring after 35 seconds and Fernando Torres with his first touch after coming on as a second-half substitute.
As part of his squad assessment, Villas-Boas will decide which players he would like to move on to generate more room for manoeuvre within the 25-man Premier League squad limit, and which youngsters to loan out to continue their development.
Freedom: Daniel Sturridge is enjoying life under his new Chelsea manager
Freedom: Daniel Sturridge is enjoying life under his new Chelsea manager
Daniel Sturridge, 21, who prospered on loan at Bolton at the end of last season, will accept the manager’s decision but he has enjoyed playing under Villas-Boas and would like the chance to prove himself at Chelsea.
Sturridge said: ‘The tour’s been great for me, with the manager showing faith in me and giving me opportunities.
‘I’ve had a lot more freedom. He has given me a licence to express myself and I’ve never had that before with any manager.
'He’s let me off the leash, if you like. It’s not just me, everyone feels like that. He wants us to attack and that’s refreshing.
‘I can play wide or through the middle. As a collective unit, we have strikers who can give the manager different things.
'It’s been good but it’s up to him to decide whether I’ll feature or not.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2020810/Andre-Villas-Boas-weighs-bid-Luka-Modric.html#ixzz1TjCFEraY
By Matt Barlow
Last updated at 6:51 PM on 31st July 2011
Chelsea are preparing to make another raid on Tottenham with a bid approaching £30million for Luka Modric.
Spurs are desperate to hang on to Modric, who did not play in the 3-2 win at Brighton on Saturday, and has made it clear he would like to move across London.
Harry Redknapp insists the Croatia midfielder was absent due to illness at Brighton but Chelsea returned from their two-week tour of Asia with chief executive Ron Gourlay, who sanctioned a £27m approach last month, ready to put the final touches to another offer.
Third time lucky? Chelsea are weighing up a fresh bid for Luka Modric (left)
Third time lucky? Chelsea are weighing up a fresh bid for Luka Modric (left)
Gourlay, when asked about the club’s transfer plans, said: ‘I don’t like talking about players from other clubs but that’s something we’ll look at during the week and we’ll take it from there.
Decision time: Andre Villas-Boas
Decision time: Andre Villas-Boas
‘We really need to sit down with Andre Villas-Boas and talk this through.
Even though we’ve been travelling away you can still be active in the market place. The communication is always there with our guys back in London or wherever they are at the present time around the world.’
Chelsea have yet to make a major move in the market this summer with signings limited to highly rated teenagers Oriol Romeu from Barcelona and Thibaut Courtois from Genk.
New manager Villas-Boas wanted to use the first five friendlies of pre-season, including the four on tour, to examine the strength and balance of the squad.
He has been pleased with the progress from his team, who won all five games, scoring a dozen goals and conceding none, albeit often against poor opposition.
On Saturday they lifted the Barclays Asia Trophy with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa, Josh McEachran scoring after 35 seconds and Fernando Torres with his first touch after coming on as a second-half substitute.
As part of his squad assessment, Villas-Boas will decide which players he would like to move on to generate more room for manoeuvre within the 25-man Premier League squad limit, and which youngsters to loan out to continue their development.
Freedom: Daniel Sturridge is enjoying life under his new Chelsea manager
Freedom: Daniel Sturridge is enjoying life under his new Chelsea manager
Daniel Sturridge, 21, who prospered on loan at Bolton at the end of last season, will accept the manager’s decision but he has enjoyed playing under Villas-Boas and would like the chance to prove himself at Chelsea.
Sturridge said: ‘The tour’s been great for me, with the manager showing faith in me and giving me opportunities.
‘I’ve had a lot more freedom. He has given me a licence to express myself and I’ve never had that before with any manager.
'He’s let me off the leash, if you like. It’s not just me, everyone feels like that. He wants us to attack and that’s refreshing.
‘I can play wide or through the middle. As a collective unit, we have strikers who can give the manager different things.
'It’s been good but it’s up to him to decide whether I’ll feature or not.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2020810/Andre-Villas-Boas-weighs-bid-Luka-Modric.html#ixzz1TjCFEraY
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