It will end a difficult period for the player after four years at Spurs. The Croatia international was linked with a move to Chelsea last summer, but Spurs’ chairman, Daniel Levy, kept him at the club despite the player’s apparent discontent.

Modric, 26, who has never hidden his desire to join Jose Mourinho’s side, has recently been forced to train away from the rest of the squad after the new Tottenham manager, Andre Villas-Boas, criticised the player for not travelling to the United States for the club’s pre-season summer tour.

One reason for the behind-the-scenes tensions was touched on by the Croatia coach, Igor Stimac, who told the Spanish newspaper AS: “Daniel Levy promised a year ago that if an offer from Madrid arrived he would let him go. And when the offer arrived he changed his opinion. I think that this guy tries to make himself famous in the world of football, but this isn’t the way to do it. When you promise something you always need to fulfil it.”

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Luka Modrić will complete his transfer to Real Madrid in the next coming days.

The fee for the Croatian varies, according to reports, but Madrid are believed to have struck a deal for around £26m, with add-ons included.

Luka Modric To Complete Real Madrid Transfer From Tottenham Hotspur

José Mourinho is yet to strengthen the Primera Liga champions this summer but Modrić’s value has risen after it transpired Xabi Alonso would not extend his contract with the club beyond next summer.

A year ago Spurs rejected several offers from Chelsea – then managed by current Tottenham manager André Villas-Boas – to buy Modrić. However this year the 26-year-old refused to travel to the squad’s pre-season camp in the United States after European Championship duty, drawing wrath from the notoriously brusque Villas-Boas.

Modrić has since been forced to train away from the first-team after his manager admitted publicly it was inevitable the Croatia international would leave White Hart Lane this summer.

Although £26m seems a low fee for Modrić, it perhaps signals how Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy, renowned for charging inflated fees for Spurs players, has put strengthening the squad ahead of financial gain. Tottenham’s efforts to reap as much as possible from the eventual £30.75m transfer deadline day sale of Dimitar Berbatov in 2008 left them short in attack, and they endured a miserable first half of the season.

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