The high standard of the Premier League has often meant that many of England’s best clubs will go head-to-head over the summer’s biggest transfers. Some of this year’s biggest prospective moves have involved London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur battling each other to get the best deals in the transfer market.
Both clubs have been involved in somewhat of a transfer quadrangle with Luka Modric and Juan Mata stuck in the middle. Whilst Chelsea have finalised a deal for Mata, Tottenham did also show a healthy interest in the Valencia winger. Another of this summer’s biggest stories has been Modric’s desire to leave Spurs for Chelsea with Daniel Levy at the Tottenham helm refusing any possible deal. But have Chelsea got the better deal in landing Mata but missing out on Modric?
Chelsea’s interest in both Mata and Modric has been well publicised but who is the better player? Last season Mata scored eight goals and made 12 assists and was the most impressive player outside the big two in La Liga. Despite impressing again last season for Spurs, Modric only managed three goals and three assists (a figure which he replicated the season before as well). But it is hard to compare the players solely on statistics. Apart from playing in two very different leagues, Mata and Modric are different types of attacking midfield players. Mata can be employed as a wide player, likely to fulfill that role perfectly in Andre Villas-Boas’ 4-3-3 formation. Modric on the other hand is an attacking midfielder best utilised in the centre where he can better dictate play and find pockets of space.
*
*
But even without considering the stats, I believe Chelsea have got the better deal this summer by snapping up Mata. The exciting Spanish international is the younger of the two at only 23-years-old (compared to 25-year-old Luka Modric) and so has plenty of time to continue to develop and adjust to the Premier League. Mata also shone at the recent European U21 Championships, playing a big part in Spain‘s success at the tournament. Mata being part of the Spanish national side in its present state is also a huge bonus for Chelsea.
Mata also looks to be the cheaper option for Chelsea as Spurs continue to reject bids for Modric of near £30million. Reports on the fee Chelsea have spent on Mata range from around £23-26million but if the former Valencia man can deliver, a fee cheaper than what Chelsea would probably have to pay if they stand any chance of singing Modric, will look like a very good deal for the Stamford Bridge side.
But whilst Chelsea looked to have snapped up a very good deal with Mata, where does this leave Spurs and Modric? Despite reports that Chelsea signing Mata was not putting the Blues off making a renewed bid for Modric, Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has insisted that he will stay and that Mata’s deal would kill off any further advances for Modric. But the speculation about a move and Tottenham’s insistence that he will not go has unsettled Modric and Spurs now risk not seeing the best of the Croatian if he does stay. Chelsea will now have the exciting Mata at their disposal, beating Spurs’ to the Spanish star in the process.
Whilst Mata’s future currently looks a lot clearer than Modric’s, Chelsea have made a strong signal of intent by signing Mata. For now Modric looks like he will remain a Tottenham player but Chelsea should not be too disappointed if they miss out on the Croatian as a deal of Mata could potentially be the best signing of the summer at Stamford Bridge.
I know who I’d rather have and deep down so do you, your just not getting him, mata is class but at the moment just a prospect. Time will tell
Can you imagine the article if Modric had signed and Mata gone somewhere else, it would simply be about how Chelsea had got the best deal. It has been funny listening to Chelsea fans. When they thought they were getting Modric they were delighted; then when the price ‘appeared’ to be £30m (the amount the press made up) with Tottenham saying ‘no’ they started saying ‘is he worth it’ and now they aren’t getting him they are saying they didn’t want him anyway. Chelsea ‘fans’ (rather than the 10,000 or so who supported them before Abramovich) have no sense of reality due to the fact they are not a football club, just a rich mans play thing. They have no heart, no soul, no atmosphere and the only person who matters there is the owner, hence why the camera is on him more than the team during games. Now that Manchester City are miles richer and buying all the players Chelsea wanted they have become pointless. They can’t win the league because of City (and Man U) and they can’t win the Champions League because of Barca (and the fact they are not good enough, of course). Luckily I can go on supporting a proper football club, irrespective of where they end, surrounded by proper football fans rather than a bunch of johnny come latelys. And 2 weeks ago you had never heard of Mata.
I have been a Chelsea fan all my life and I am disgusted by your idiotic comment.
You can’t just say every Chelsea fan except 10 000 of us are “bandwagon” fans…
I do however agree with you that this article seems a little bit childish because of the writer’s refusal to admit that Modric would have been a great signing…
I have personally been following Mata for a very long time, longer than 2 weeks…
And yes, some of our fans may be following Chelsea since ghe takeover but you could say the same about Manchester United or Manchester City…
The majority of MU fans are not from Manchester and LOADS are not even English…
Just remember this before you write your jealous idiotic comments: with success comes support.
Keep following your club and maybe one day, if they are as successful as Chelsea have been over the last few years, you might remember you’re smarmy comments and think about how stupid you sound.
Your pathetic response has shown I have hit a nerve. And yes I can say that Chelsea fans are bandwagon jumpers and I think you’ll find I did. Early 90s I had the misfortune to be taken to Stamford Bridge to watch Palace in a London Derby and there was a 14,000 crowd. Chelsea ‘fans’, like you, mention that Man U and Man C are the same. So what? What has that got to do with anything, I was simply talking about Chelsea RMT. The comments aren’t smarmy at all. I still find it amazing that a club can lose £100m every year, buy whatever players they want, not worry about whether they are over priced or don’t cut the mustard becuase they can just go and get another one, pay them whatever they want (about 3 times more than the market value) and still win so relatively little. And as I said, once someone richer comes along, you become pointless. So get used to the Manchester City era and the fact that they will buy all the players Chelsea RMT want beofre you because they already have a better squad and loads more money. I heard a Chelsea ‘fan’ say ‘what Manchester City are doing is ridiculous and is ruining football’. Priceless and welcome to the real world that all 91 other clubs have had to put up with since Abramovich joined.
you can keep him,after all it is your coach who is always talking about him on the press.how sure are you that we are still interested maybe our interest was over when we made £27m . cant win champions league because of Backa(thieves/diverers)last time we met they had paid for that march to go their favor,not only against us (arsenal,madrid).you also participated why didn’t you win it.
Write in English next time. Backa (thieves/diverers) not sure what that means. March is a month. See below for why Tottenham will not win the Champions League – it’s the same reason why Chelsea won’t except more so. Loads of clubs have more money than Tottenham and enough have more money than Chelsea. What’s more Chelsea spend it very poorly. Torres is a busted flush and everyone knows that but Abramovich wanted him as his latest toy and spent £50m. Sturridge is better, as are Anelka and Drogba and loads of other forwards in the preier league, but Abramovich wants glamour. Sadly, he knows nothing about football and thought Torres was good!!
so really what you’re saying is a load of bullshit then…, clearly someone who knows nothing about the sport
Roy, put an intelligent comment on here and I will respond
U talk about us not having a chance to win league or CL …. what about spurs ?? when was the last time you won something …
That’s my point. It is impossible without a sugar daddy. Chelsea spend 3 times as much as Tottenham on wages and spend £100,000,000 more than their turnover every year. So Tottenham and any other team without a sugar daddy cannot win the league. Arsenal run it like a business (because that’s what it is) and can’t compete; same with Tottenham. Manchester United are £750,000,000 in debt and hanging on because of their name and their world wide pulling power. If Tottenham had Abramovich and not Chelsea, they would challenge for the league. If Everton had the sheikh and not Man City they would challenge for the league. Chelsea ARE Abramovich the ceased being a FC and turned into a Rich Mans Toy when he signed. So no, of course Tottenham can’t win the league, but the point I am making is that nor can Chelsea because Man City have a far richer sugar daddy and once that happens you are knackered. I have no axe to grind with Chelsea FC be cause they were a great FC, but Chelsea RMT are a complete waste of space.
come u better stop saying nonsense if u dont know what to say…who are man city where we are talking…
Post in English and I will try and reply
Come on Luka. Speak out aloud, fight for what you want!!
ur’ coment sound very very stupid as levy n harry wit u. Pls next time tink n read b4 postin ur coment. Wen did u start watchin footbal? talk of suportin! U came 2 d (ucl) lst csin were re u now? U claim 2 b among d top epl clubs wen lst did u win a spone not 2 talk trophies. Nxt time don’t post foolish coment.
Foolish comment. At least I can write.
I don’t I really think Josh can be the ultimate play maker, he can be as good as Modric. I think if we miss out on him we should go for Moutinho, if we miss out of both use Josh. I think the best line up without Modric is:
Bosingwa—Ivanovic—Luiz—Cole
Ramires——-Romeu—–McEachran
Sturridge—-Lukaku——-Malouda
or
Ivanovic—Luiz—Terry—PVA
Ramires—–Romeu—McEachran
Mata——-Torres—–Malouda
Bosingwa luiz terry cole. Ramires mikel benayoun. Sturidge torres mata
Best team … bench Drogba,Anelka,Ivanovic,Lampard,Turnbull
If i am the coach, i will use:
Ivanovich——-Luiz——–Terry——–A.Cole
Mikel
Benayoun——————-Ramires
Lukaku————Torres—————–J.Mata
I am not sorry to say,but u are distructive writer ur article is so poor dat u can hide ure anger.this football,a sport nd nt wrestlin.
Is wrestling not a sport now? lol
bosingwa-luiz-terry-cole
ramires-mikel-get modric
mata-torres-get hazard