Why Luka Modric is one of the finest midfielder in Europe

Luka Modric

He’s small, good on the ball and arguably the best central midfielder in Spain at the moment. The caveat, for once, is that he doesn’t play forBarcelona; although he might have done if the Catalan club hadn’t deemed him too expensive when he moved to Tottenham.

Luka Modric cost the London club just shy of £19 million, before leaving for Real Madrid for a figure closer to £30 million—he’s looking worth every penny at the moment.

Luka Modric stats

The Croatian didn’t immediately settle into life in the Spanish capital and it’s hardly been a year since Marca’s readers voted him the worst signing of 2012, ahead ofAlex Song.

Times have changed though, and so have the headlines on the Spanish paper’s website: “The one that got away”, they write today, in reference to Modric, after speaking to former Barcelona player Goran Vucevic.

In the early part of this century Vucevic was a scout for La Blaugrana, covering an area which included Croatia. “He was a very, very complete player”, he said of Modric after following him closely in his Dinamao Zagreb days. “He was young, but you could see he was special and he would have adapted to Barca’s style without any problem at all.”

His ability on the ball would obviously have been perfect for Camp Nou, although you get the feeling his move to Madrid, perhaps working under Jose Mourinho too, has rounded him into a more complete player.

Modric Pass Accuracy – La Liga 2013/14

His passing accuracy in La Liga is up there with Xabi Alonso (89 percent), while he betters his Basque colleague for the same stat in the Champions League (94 percent). Modric has also made five assists this season, as well as creating 38 chances, and he took three players out the game on his way to setting up Karim Benzema against Real Betis.

It’s that ability on the ball, the touch, the finesse, which would have made him perfect for Barca who, according to Vucenic, “didn’t want to enter the bidding when he left for Tottenham, they thought he was too expensive.”

It’s possibly another ability which has elevated him to one of the best midfielders in Europe this season, maybe even to the very top alongside the likes of Arturo Vidal: his work rate and defensive contribution.

Modric Duel Success – La Liga 2013/14

Just one goal may be snorted at, but the 28-year-old has played a key role in helping Carlo Ancelotti find the midfield stability which has at last led to a reduction in goals conceded. Modric, in the league and Champions League, has completed 50 interceptions, while he’s also won 43 out of his 69 tackles in those competitions too.

In 20 starts this season, he’s averaging over four defensive contributions in each game—more than subsidising for the loss of Sami Khedira, with an attacking edge thrown in as an added bonus.

What’s most impressive about his contributions in his own half, is that they often lead to a counter-attack. He doesn’t just win the ball, he follows it up by using his intelligence and an initial burst of pace to glide away from the opposition.

Modric has come a long way at the Bernabeu over the last 12 months in terms of his personal development, so much so that he now has to be considered one of Ancelotti’s most significant players. Los Blancos will be happy Vucevic didn’t get his way and Barca dubbed Super Luka too costly, because they’re certainly getting their money’s worth now.