In 2008, Newcastle United overlooked signing arguably the greatest midfielder of his generation. An integral component of the side that stunned England at Wembley one year previously, Luka Modric - then just 22-years-old - starred as the Three Lions had to cancel their flights to the European Championships.
Toon supporters were robbed of the opportunity to witness midfield greatness in a black-and-white shirt. What is more reflective of the Mike Ashley era is how Steve McClaren - the biggest loser at Wembley that day as he stood clutching a rain-soaked brolly - turned up at St James’ Park several years later instead.
Almost 15 years, five Champions Leagues, three La Liga titles, one Ballon d’Or and a World Cup runners-up medal later, Modric is still dominating on the world stage.
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As the 36-year-old glided across the Parisian turf to help Real Madrid dispatch Liverpool and claim a historic 14th European Cup last night, it was hard not to remember one of Mike Ashley’s most monumental mis-steps in the transfer market. Then Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan lambasted Tony Jimenez - the Magpies’ failed former vice president - at a talk-in event in 2018.
“We tried to sign Modric,” Keegan declared. “Modric’s agent was a massive fan of mine and he was about to sign for Spurs.
“He hopped on a train to Newcastle and all we had to do was sell the club to him. Mr Jimenez said ‘I’ve watched him, I don’t think he is big enough or strong enough to play in the Premier League.’ That was the end of that, he killed it stone-dead.”
For context, who was Jimenez’s standout signing at Newcastle? Xisco.
Modric would sign for Tottenham Hotspur that same summer and become eulogised by the White Hart Lane faithful. After establishing himself as the Premier League’s best midfielder, Los Blancos came calling in 2012. A difficult start to life at the Bernabeu saw the Croatian named the worst signing of the season in a Marca poll - claiming 32% of the vote.
It is a testament to Modric’s character that he was able to reinvent himself in front of the notoriously vitriolic Madrid crowd and emerge as one of the finest players of the modern era. Since those tricky early days, the maestro has gone on to play nearly 450 times for the world’s biggest club and holds legendary status alongside Iker Casillas, Alfredo di Stefano, Zinedine Zidane, Raul and Cristiano Ronaldo.
However, his recollection of Newcastle’s pursuit differs from the tale Keegan told four years ago. Speaking to FourFourTwo magazine while playing for Madrid, Modric said: "I heard a few rumours at the time that Newcastle were thinking about taking me there, like many other teams, but I don't remember anything in particular," Modric told Four Four Two magazine.
"People were speaking about it and I think Kevin Keegan once gave an interview on the subject. I heard that. At the time, though, no one told me directly that Newcastle wanted to sign me. There were some other teams that the people who took care of me were telling me about, but they didn't mention Newcastle.”
The infamous deception that usually occurred during an Ashley-led transfer window means it is easy to give Keegan the benefit of the doubt. Former chief scout Graham Carr revealed in 2020 that Toon chiefs ignored many of his top targets, including Pierre-Emrick Aubameyang and Modric’s former teammate Raphael Varane.
Who did Newcastle sign instead of the five-time Champions League winner that summer? Ignacio Gonzales.
New-found hope following Ashley’s exit is for players like Modric to no longer fall under the radar. Newcastle fans may have been watching last night’s final fantasising for the future once the effects of the £300million Saudi-backed takeover kick in.
Buckle up and enjoy the ride as the days of erroneous misjudgement appear to be over.
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