Tottenham Hotspur have played host to some of the greatest players to grace the Premier League in the last decade or so, with few having gone on to achieve as much in the game as Luka Modric.
The Croatian was a classy yet combative midfield maestro for the Lilywhites, and yet following his first season at Real Madrid was voted alongside Alex Song as one of the worst La Liga signings for that season.
Fans from the white half of north London were likely the only ones who maintained belief he would come good, having also seen Andre Villas-Boas dub him “one of the greatest talents in the world”.
He would go on to win five Champions League titles, three La Ligas and the Ballon d’Or, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest central midfielders of all time.
Now, Spurs could be hoping to repeat that feat as Fabio Paratici is reportedly eyeing a move for Lovro Majer. The Rennes midfielder has already seen a €60m (£53m) valuation slapped upon his head, which is indicative of the immense quality he clearly possesses.
The 25-year-old may already be drawing comparisons with him and his legendary 37-year-old compatriot, but not just because of their shared nationality.
Not only have they enjoyed similar career paths, passing through Dinamo Zagreb on their way to stardom, but their slight figures both belie the work rate and toughness they possess.
This season the silky operator is recording an 85% pass accuracy, which he converts into one key pass per game. He then blends this with 1.1 tackles per 90 too (via Sofascore), outlining him as an all-around outstanding option.
Obviously comparing these numbers to Modric directly outlines the gulf in quality, but his 90% pass accuracy, 1.5 key passes and 0.8 tackles per game (via Sofascore) this season showcase that he does excel in the right areas to be a direct replacement.
Just over a year ago saw him lauded in particular by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, who took to Twitter in November of 2021 to outline his “phenomenal” month where he had been “on fire“.
