£22 million for Luka Modric is ‘ridiculous’

No comparison with Henderson

Speaking to the BBC, Redknapp said,

“Luka is not for sale. But if there has been a bid of £22m that is ridiculous. There are people being sold for £20m who are not fit to lace Luka’s boots.”

Assume

I assume the ‘people being sold’ refers to Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson who was signed from Sunderland for a fee believed to be around £20 million.

It has to be said that Redknapp has got a point doesn’t it? Luka Modric is a player admired around the world who has the ability to unlock a defence with flair, a little bit of magic or a clever pass. Henderson is a tireless worker who chases everything. He is a box to box midfielder who gives it everything. In other words, Modric is the type of midfielder who England find it almost impossible to produce and Henderson is a typical English midfielder.

Problem

The problem for the England national team is encapsulated in these two players. Henderson is fine in the Premier League where a good engine and great work rate will gain rewards, but it is Modric you want if you are to do well in European or international competition.

The reason England don’t do well at international level when the Premier League is so admired is because the English players are like Henderson and not like Modric.

Valued

Let us look at the two players and see if they should be valued at a similar level.

Jordan Henderson is twenty years old. He has played ten league games in the Championship and seventy-one in the Premier League. He has scored five goals. He has one full international cap and to date he has won nothing in the game.

Modric

Luka Modric is twenty-five years old. He has played ninety-four league games in the top leagues of Bosnia and Croatia and ninety in the Premier League. He has scored thirty-six goals. He has forty-four full international caps and has played at the World Cup and European Championships. He has been Bosnian player of the year, Croatian player of the year, was selected in the team of the 2008 European Championships and was Tottenham’s player of the season last time out.

It is quite clear that there is simply no comparison. If Jordan Henderson is worth £20 million then Chelsea’s bid of £22 million for Luka Modric is, as Harry Redknapp says, ridiculous.