Branislav Ivanovic has urged Luka Modric to join him at Chelsea, saying the Croatian playmaker deserves to move to a "bigger club."
Chelsea almost captured the classy midfielder from Tottenham last summer, but Spurs reportedly turned down a £40 million ($62 million) offer.
Manchester united and Real Madrid have been heavily linked with Modric this summer, with the Spanish champions understood to be leading the race, while Chelsea are also still interested in capturing the talented playmaker.
It has been widely reported that the 26-year-old will find a new club, with Tottenham missing out on the Champions League for the second straight season. The uncertainty surrounding the manager situation, after Harry Redknapp was fired, has further fuelled rumors of an impending move for Modric to a bigger club. It is believed Modric was a Redknapp loyalist and is not too happy to see the Englishman leave Spurs.
Ivanovic said he wants Modric to step up a gear and join the European Champions. "Chelsea need a player like him," the Serbian defender, who has also been linked with a move to Real Madrid this summer, told Sportske Novosti.
"He is a really great player and wouldn't need long to adapt to a new club.
"He has been playing in England for a while now, he knows the Premier League, he has the right mentality and knows how to play on the level required at Chelsea.
"I'm sure that he needs something new in his career. He needs to move to a bigger club.
"I believe at Chelsea he would become an even better player. I urge him to come to Chelsea. He won't regret it."
