Jose Mourinho: "I called Luka Modric, but he doesn't want to join Chelsea"

Jose Mourinho claims he wanted his former player at Chelsea.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has claimed that his attempts to sign his former player Luka Modric went down the river after the Real Madrid player rejected the approach, ESPN reports.

"I called Modric only privately but he doesn't want [to join] Chelsea," Mourinho told Croatian sports newspaper Sportske Novosti. “You know I really appreciate Luka Modric and his qualities. But he stays in Real Madrid.”

Modric had played under the Portuguese at Real Madrid after joining the Spanish club in 2012 from Tottenham Hotspur, and was one of Real Madrid’s best players last season, helping them in their successful Champions League winning campaign.

It is also speculated that the Croatian was Mourinho’s first choice before Chelsea signed Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona following Modric’s rejection.