The Croatian looks set for a surprise Bernabeu exit.
Premier League giants Manchester United and Chelsea are set to lock horns in a bidding war for Real Madrid playmaker Luka Modric, report the Daily Star, with both Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho reportedly willing to pay £48m to facilitate the former Tottenham Hotspur star’s return to the Premier League.
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Modric has formed a fine partnership with former Bayern Munich midfielder Toni Kroos since the German international arrived in the summer, but surprisingly speculation surrounding the future has intensified in recent weeks, with a return to the Premier League now looking like a distinct possibility for Modric.
The 29 year-old midfielder has developed into one of the best playmaking midfielders in world football since his big move to the Spanish capital from White Hart Lane three years ago, with Mourinho having been the man who made the deal happen, but the report suggests that Modric’s wife is unsettled in Madrid and this could lead to the former Dinamo Zagreb star’s departure.
Despite the massive fee that would be required to tempt Real into selling Modric, both Premier League giants will be aware of the fact that signing Modric would almost certainly mean buying a player who is capable of immediately adapting back to English football.