Luka Modric to hold talks with Tottenham chairman over his future

Luka Modric will hold talks with the Tottenham Hotspur chairman, Daniel Levy, next Wednesday, when his future at the club should become clearer. The Croatia midfielder and Tottenham's player of the year will report for pre-season training and have a meeting with Levy, accompanied by one of his representatives. Modric, who stood out in Tottenham's Champions League debut, has made it clear that he wants regular football on Europe's grandest stage and Spurs can offer only the Europa League next season. Chelsea were the first club to make firm their interest in Modric but their offer of £22m was dismissed by Levy. He and the manager, Harry Redknapp, together with Modric's advisors, considered the bid to have been derogatory. Chelsea, who are monitoring the situation, particularly after Modric said that he would like to move to Stamford Bridge, know they will have to increase their offer. Manchester United are also interested and they have a creative vacancy in central midfield after the retirement of Paul Scholes. Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, described Modric as the Premier League's player of the season. Tottenham do not want to lose Modric and not only because of the negative signals that it would send to their other leading players, chief among them Gareth Bale. Levy is prepared to give Modric, who earns £45,000 a week and is under contract until 2016, a hefty pay rise to make him the club's best-paid player, although there is little doubt he could get more elsewhere. Levy has long overseen a realistic wage structure, where the ceiling is set at £75,000 a week. Modric, who has admitted that he owes a debt of gratitude to the club, would be reluctant to force through a transfer. Tottenham continue to insist he is not for sale.