Mourinho steps in

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho has made a personal plea to Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy to try and push the Luka Modric deal through.

Modric has apologised for his actions earlier in the week when he went on strike rather than join his team mates in the US, but relations are still strained. Boss Andre Villas-Boas says no-one has met the asking price for the player and contract talks continue, but Levy has raised the stakes by insisting they will hold out for £40m and will not let Modric go without a fight. Mourinho has now personally intervened, the Real boss knows Levy personally and hopes his intervention can help charm Spurs into allowing Modric to move to the Bernabeu, although that looks unlikely.