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If Modric wants to leave, eventually he will - Ardiles

Luka Modric directs his team-mates © PA Photos

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Tottenham legend Ossie Ardiles claims that Harry Redknapp will find it impossible to force Luka Modric to stay beyond this season if he remains determined to quit for Chelsea.

Chelsea had three bids rejected this summer and not even £40 million forced chairman Daniel Levy to sell, as he kept his promise to the Spurs faithful that the world-class playmaker will stay.

And despite Chelsea announcing that their pursuit of the Croatia star is over after they landed Raul Meireles from Liverpool on deadline day, Ardiles cannot see Modric staying at White Hart Lane next season.

Speaking at the launch of '19', which chronicles each of Manchester United's record-breaking 19 league titles, Ardiles commented: "In my time, when all the power was with the chairman or with the club, you could stop players leaving.

"If a player wanted to leave, at the end of the day, he could not leave. Right now, with all the power in the player's hands, you cannot possibly stop that. If Luka Modric, or whoever, wants to leave the club, he will."

Modric scored a stunning opening strike in Sunday's 4-0 Premier League thrashing of Liverpool and his all-round performance was his "best ever" in his three-and-a-half years at Tottenham, according to Ardiles.

Ardiles added: "He's a lovely, lovely boy. Of course it will affect him when suddenly you are going to be earning a lot more money, you are going to be playing in the Champions League. You would not be human if you are not unsettled after that. Saying that, he realises it's not going to happen right now.

"So these months for him before January are going to be incredibly crucial. I think he's going to give everything he has and we're going to be the beneficiaries of that. And, of course, he will benefit as well because he may have a transfer in January or he may in July."

Spurs' opening game was postponed because of the Tottenham riots and then they lost, not unexpectedly, to Manchester United and Manchester City. Redknapp rallied the team and they came back in some style against Wolves and Liverpool.

"There were a lot of questions about Tottenham, to be perfectly honest," Ardiles said. "But they answered all these questions last Sunday against Liverpool. Suddenly, things are starting to look very, very rosy again."

Arch-rivals Arsenal are mired in 17th place in the table after the most torrid two months of Arsene Wenger's 15-year reign. The Gunners have never finished below Tottenham since Wenger took charge but Ardiles feels it could realistically happen this season.

"This year, it's very much a possibility," he said. "Arsenal look their poorest for a long time. For the first time in a long, long time they are maybe going to be the ones losing out on the third or fourth spot. They've had a terrible start."

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