Reports: Luka Modric clears the air on Inter's "approach" in the transfer market
What's the rumour?
The Real Madrid midfielder who dominated the World Cup and took Croatia all the way to final has finally spoken to FIFA and given his side of the story after Real Madrid complained over Inter Milan's approach to sign the player.
As per Express, Luka Modric has now told FIFA that it was, in fact, he who contacted the Italian club over a potential transfer.
In case you didn't know...
Luka Modric is reportedly looking for a move away from Real Madrid and Inter Milan were heavily linked with him.
However, this came at the displeasure of Real Madrid who were disgruntled over Inter Milan's allegedly unethical approach.
Subsequently, they complained to FIFA over an alleged violation of Article 18 of the transfer regulations whereby a club is restricted from making contact with a player directly without attaining permission from the parent club to do the same.
The Croatian international is still one of Real Madrid's most important players and they are ready to spare no effort to ensure his stay at the Bernabeu.
The heart of the matter
In a major twist in the transfer saga, Luka Modric has told FIFA that it was he who contacted Serie A giants Inter Milan over a potential transfer. As a result, the case against Inter is likely to get dropped.
Express Sport had earlier reported that it was Luka Modric's wife who had first contacted Inter regarding the matter.
Modric's intention of moving to Inter Milan is buoyed by the fact that fellow countrymen Marcelo Brozovic, Ivan Perisic and Sime Vrsaljko all play for the Nerazzurri.
Modric was selected as the player of the tournament at the World Cup and was the recipient of the coveted Golden Ball award.
Meanwhile, there are claims that Modric is using Inter's interest in him to get a better deal with better pay at Real Madrid.
Rumour rating/probability: 4/10
We should perhaps wait for a more credible source to come out with an angle on this as Express is not exactly a very reliable source for transfer-related news.
Video
What's next?
Luka Modric's quality is desperately needed at the Santiago Bernabeu especially because Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Juventus earlier this summer and the club needs experience and tested quality on the pitch if they're to mount a challenge on all fronts this term.
However, it seems like the star midfielder has his heart set on a move away from the club where he has accomplished so much. This could go either way as Real Madrid are not open to selling him as evidenced by them lodging the complaint against Inter Milan.