Tottenham played dirty when I wanted to leave for bigger club – I was so disappointed

The Tottenham favourite clashed with Daniel Levy over an alleged gentleman's agreement

By Mark Whiley · Football London

Published: Saturday, 3 October 2026 at 4:00 AM

Key Things to Know

Luka Modric accused Tottenham and Daniel Levy of playing dirty by blocking a move to Chelsea 15 years ago.
Modric claimed Levy breached a gentleman's agreement and threatened to bench him if he did not accept the stance.
Tottenham denied the existence of an agreement and rejected Chelsea's initial £22m permanent transfer bid.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Luka Modric once accused the club and chairman Daniel Levy of playing dirty after being denied a move to Chelsea. Modric claimed Levy broke an alleged gentleman's agreement made during contract negotiations that would permit him to depart if a bigger club submitted a concrete offer.

Tottenham denied any such agreement existed and rejected an initial £22m bid from Chelsea. Although prevented from joining Chelsea, Modric eventually secured a permanent transfer to Real Madrid in 2012 for around £30m, where he won 28 trophies before joining AC Milan in 2025.

Read the full article on Football London

Tottenham played dirty when I wanted to leave for bigger club – I was so disappointed

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