Luka Modric disclosed his wish to join Chelsea from Tottenham in 2011, a year before his Real Madrid move. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy rejected multiple bids, informing Modric there was “absolutely no chance” he would be allowed to leave. The Croatian stayed one more season.
Modric now sees the failed Chelsea transfer as a “blessing in disguise,” leading him to Real Madrid in 2012. There, he won 28 trophies, including six Champions League titles and the 2018 Ballon d’Or, a path he believes wouldn’t have happened otherwise.