- Premier League
Modric: Bale would make Real 'unstoppable'
Luka Modric has called for former Tottenham team-mate Gareth Bale to join him at Real Madrid, claiming the Spanish club would then be "unstoppable".
Bale's future has been up for discussion this week, after Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas admitted that the north London club could struggle to keep the Welsh winger after another scintillating performance in the midweek victory over Liverpool.
And Modric, who made the move from White Hart Lane to the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer, believes Bale should join him at Real - creating a partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo that could dominate the Champions League.
"We used to talk and I know he wants to play Champions League football every season and has a big dream of winning the Champions League," Modric said. "Madrid would be a great club for him to achieve his dreams.
"I play with Ronaldo here at Madrid and the way he just runs with the ball with such confidence and defenders back off him is exactly the same as Gareth.
"To have them both in the same team would be unstoppable."
Modric believes Bale will not look to leave Spurs until next summer at the earliest, but fears it will be almost impossible for Villas-Boas to keep hold of him if they fail to qualify for Europe's premier club competition for another season.
The Croatian, who believes Bale is already the best player in the Premier League, is adamant he needs to be turning out at the highest level on a regular basis at this stage of his career.
"Of course Spurs want to keep Bale - he is loved by the fans and it is easy to see why," Modric said. "But they must make Champions League football this season if he is to stay.
"If he decides to leave Spurs then every top club in Europe will want him. He is an intelligent guy and is open to new experiences. I know he sees the value in playing abroad, so when the time comes he will have a big decision to make.
"There is not a club in the world that would not want Gareth in their team. The way he plays scares defenders - and when he is in full flow there is no stopping him.
"It is not just that he has pace but he has the goals and creates goals to go with it. Already he is one of the best players in the world and he will only get better. There are some great players in the Premier League but for me Gareth is now the best and most dangerous."