FanPost

How do we replace Luka?

Luka Modric. I'm sitting here now in my Modric jersey feeling sad that he's imminently off to the Bernabeu and wondering just how we replace him. My thoughts on who can replace Luka are after the jump.

SIDE NOTE: Modric to Madrid is literally the best scenario right now - aside from him staying. We get a stack of cash (or possibly cash + Sahin, Benzema or Higuain), we don't have to deal with him in the Premier League and unlike PSG where he'd be a guaranteed starter, he will get to play a Berbatov-esque role at Madrid - read: bench - and thus get full penance for his desire to leave. At least until Xabi Alonso retires.

So I've been looking over the names that have been thrown out there to replace Modric and I've decided I'll profile them while giving my opinions on each :)

Joao Moutinho

AVB and Moutinho. Still a better love story than Twilight. But seriously, this is the guy that probably makes the most sense. He knows how AVB works, he loves AVB and he knows the system. He's coming off the back of an excellent Euros with Portugal, another title win with Porto and seems to be eager to come to the Lane. Looking at his stats for Porto and what I saw in the Euros he seems to be very much in the Luka Modric mould. The player who controls the tempo of midfield and plays the pass before the assist so his value to the squad isn't really shown in statistics. I think he's a very realistic transfer given his relationship with AVB as well as being affordable due to the money we'll get from the Luka sale.

Nuri Sahin

This is the one that everyone was super keen on (myself included) when the Madrid link first emerged and I still think it could happen. Sahin has come out and said that he doesn't want to leave Real but he wouldn't play ever with Alonso, Modric, Khedira and the other fringe players all ahead of him. He was Dortmund's star in their first title win and could definitely replicate that at Tottenham where he could join other Madrid reject Rafa Van Der Vaart and they could bond over their mutual ejections from the Bernabeu. Sahin passes very well and seems to put in a good shift in midfield so he'd be a good fit for Spurs. Plus we could utilise the power of alliteration with a midfield of Sahin, Siggurdson and Sandro.

Tom Huddlestone

The Huddlefro is perhaps the most interesting of the tabled options as a Modric replacement. He doesn't have Modric's silky ball skills but his vision is excellent and he's certainly more of a goal threat - see any number of excellent goals, my favourite being his one in the 3-3 draw with the Gooners, the left footed one. My issue with not buying a player in this situation lies mainly in the fact that Huddlestone didn't play this season. We have no idea where he's at now. This is the riskiest by far.

Luka Modric

Definitely the most out there. We could keep him (no idea how) but we could.

Yohan Cabaye

I can't believe nobody's raised this as a possibility. To be honest I only thought of him today but surely we should be making a move here. He is well adjusted to the EPL already, he is young and stupidly talented. Cabaye poses a goal threat from both open play and set pieces in addition to some of the best non-Modric/Silva/Mata passing we saw last season. Many of his assists for Cisse were just spectacular and I think we should look at him quite seriously.

Anyone can write a FanPost, and we encourage you to do so! FanPosts are the voice of the Cartilage Free Captain readership. But before you write one: Lurk! Comment! Talk with your fellow members and get to know the site.