Tottenham Hotspur were dealt a hammer blow mid-way through February, as one of their star midfield generals Rodrigo Bentancur was ruled out for the foreseeable future, and more recently underwent successful ACL surgery.
The Uruguayan had established himself as a stalwart in the engine room for the Lilywhites and struck up a fine partnership with the ever-present Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
They will now go without his talents, leaving a gaping hole to potentially be filled by one of their younger prospects.
However, it may leave fans reminiscing of days when they boasted a wealth of midfield talent, and, little did they know it, a player who would go on to become one of the best central midfielders of all time.
Luka Modric has starred for Real Madrid ever since his move, and would be the undisputed perfect man to replace the injured 25-year-old.
How did Luka Modric play for Spurs?
Despite enduring a slow start to life in north London, the Croatian soon became a mainstay under Harry Redknapp operating from left or central midfield.
Even Andre Villas-Boas, who was the Chelsea boss at the time, seemed to recognise the sparkling future he boasted as he branded him “one of the greatest talents in the world.”
Despite this, it took two years for him to truly ignite his career, which would only continue to improve. This culminated in his £30m move to the Spanish capital, where he would later win five Champions Leagues, three La Liga titles and a Ballon d’Or whilst also leading his country to a World Cup final.
Those exploits with Croatia led journalist Usher Komugisha to label him “a legend of the game”. This was supported by Liam Canning, who also wrote that he: “Makes football look so easy. World-class.”
The 37-year-old accomplished such feats with immense class and finesse, maintaining a metronomic presence in the engine room.
When compared to other midfielders across Europe he ranks in the top 1% for assists, 10% for shot-creating actions, 5% for passes attempted and the top 4% for progressive passes, via FBref.
There are few better to have graced the field than Modric in recent years, and to pair him with the 1.5 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per 90 of Hojbjerg would be a match made in heaven.
The mere idea of him gracing Spurs’ starting side again is tantalising with the Bentancur-shaped hole that now desperately needs filling. Indeed, had he still been at the club, he would have undoubtedly fixed the issues facing Conte and Stellini this term.
For now, however, they will have to continue to watch on as the Croat dazzles in the Spanish capital.