Wise confident of breaking his duck with Modric
Luka Modric appears to be close to
signing for Newcastle United after the Croatia and Dinamo Zagreb
playmaker visited both St James' Park and the club's training ground
earlier this week. Reports in Zagreb claim that Modric will cost
Newcastle at least £20m - although Tyneside sources insist the fee is
likely to be significantly smaller - and it is hoped that the
22-year-old can supply Kevin Keegan's side with the midfield creativity
they have so craved in recent months.
It seems that Dennis Wise,
Newcastle's executive director (football), has been the prime mover in
a deal which looks poised to become the first to be completed since the
former Leeds manager's arrival in late January as head of a new
European style scouting system.
Indeed Wise and Tony Jimenez,
Newcastle's recruitment supremo, were heavily involved in arranging not
only Modric's visit but a meeting that Zdravko Mamic, Dinamo's
vice-president, held with club representatives in the city's Malmaison
hotel this week. The agent Peter Harrison was also present.
With
Modric, who is expected to play a key role for Slaven Bilic's Croatia
side during Euro 2008, generally deployed in a left-sided role, it
appears likely that the unsettled Charles N'Zogbia will now be allowed
to leave Newcastle.
Even so Modric's move is far from complete
and, while there could be some intense haggling over personal terms of
a player expected to command a salary in the £60,000-£80,000 a week
bracket, the transfer may also be vulnerable to a late hijacking by one
of the midfielder's many admirers across England and Europe.
Modric
has previously been linked with moves to Barcelona, Chelsea, Liverpool,
Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City. Wise, though, is believed to be
confident of pulling off what would be regarded as a major
transfer-market coup.
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