Real Madrid Sign Luka Modric From Tottenham Hotspur

After a 14-month-long transfer saga, midfield ace Luka Modric has finally left Tottenham Hotspur for greener pastures. Chelsea spent last summer vying for his services and got nowhere, but Spanish giants Real Madrid have been more successful in their chase, finally compelling Spurs to sell and then luring the 26-year-old to the Santiago Bernabeu with a lucrative five-year contract.

The terms of the sale (and Modric's wages at Real) are currently undisclosed, but suffice to say that Jose Mourinho's men, who currently sit on a massively disappointing return of a draw and a loss from their first two matches of the season, have paid a fair amount of money for his services. They've also apparently had to agree to a partnership deal with Spurs, according to a quote from Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy:

Luka has been a terrific player for us and, whilst we preferred not to part with him, we are pleased that it is to Real Madrid, a club with which we now look forward to sharing a long and productive partnership.

With Modric, arguably the Premier League's best player, leaving, Tottenham now have four days until the end of the transfer window to bring in some major reinforcements. There are already rumours of the club making a move for Rennes midfielder Yann M'Vila, and with the Modric money in hand they seems poised for some serious shopping.

For more on this deal, check out los Blancos blog Managing Madrid as well as our Tottenham blog, Cartilage Free Captain.