Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Brad Freidel believes Luka Modric will leave the club this summer if a ready-made replacement can be found.

The Croatian international is seeking a move away from Spurs after the club's inability to qualify for the Champions League for a second successive season.

Modric submitted a transfer request last summer; demanding a move to Chelsea, however chairman Daniel Levy refused to budge as Tottenham kept hold of the playmaker, and Friedel says any departure this summer will be quickly replaced.

Luka Modric
Modric is looking to leave Spurt this summer.

"There's a lot of speculation on that," Friedel told talkSPORT. "Last season before I'd even met Luka apparently he was on his way to Chelsea and the chairman thought very hard and kept him and he had a good season. I have no idea if that will transpire this season.

"I can only think that the way the chairman works and seeing the ambition of the new manager that if someone like Luka were to go that they would have a ready-made replacement.

"I can't see this club with the ambition that they have right now allowing players to go if they don't have a replacement, we're definitely not a selling club."

Modric's future was overshadowed mid-way through the off-season by news of Harry Redknapp's sacking as manager, and the subsequent appointment of Andre Villas-Boas as head coach at White Hart lane.

Villas-Boas arrives at Tottenham having endured a torrid time with London rivals Chelsea last season, losing his job in March, only for interim boss Roberto Di Matteo to guide the club to Champions League and FA Cup success.

The nine-month spell in charge at Stamford Bridge left a mark on Villas-Boas' reputation, who had won four trophies in his first season in charge as a manager at FC Porto.

His success in Portugal with Porto, and subsequent move to The Blues had drawn comparisons with Jose Mourinho, who took a similar path in the early stages of his managerial career.

But now the 34 year old is looking to make his own mark in the game, with a second chance in the Premier League with Spurs, and Friedel has already been impressed with his ambition.

"With being my 21<sup>st season I'm used to change, new managers and staff coming in is nothing that is daunting for myself," Friedel added. "For some other players they might be wondering what he's thinking.

"You can only take people as they are to you and what I've seen is a very ambitious manager, he's very organised and training has been very sharp the spirits have been good and he's let us know that he's come here to try and win things so for the first couple of days things seem very good."

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