After seemingly throwing his dummy out of the pram as he seeks a way out of White Hart Lane, it looks as though Luka Modric may be set to swallow his pride and return to first team training. The Croatian midfielder has been training separately through recent weeks, yet Andre Villas-Boas says that the midfielder is almost ready to join up with the first team again.

Modric has been linked with a move away from Tottenham for the past few months and after failing to report for the club’s tour of the USA, speculation mounted that his exit could occur sooner rather than later. However, all those actions appeared to do was infuriate Daniel Levy, who slapped the 26-year-old with a fine worth two-weeks of wages.

Now, according to Villas-Boas, the player must accept the situation as it is and understand that Spurs will not accept less than his market value. Announcing Modric’s impending return to first team training, AVB told Sky Sports, “He has been training separately. Now it is important for Luka to feel mentally ready to come back to first team training. I think the player has to understand that the club cannot do anything about other clubs’ offers. We have a value and an interest that we have to defend, and we are waiting to reintegrate the player if the offer is not matched.”

Despite Modric’s actions, speculation regarding his future has actually quietened over recent weeks. With Spurs supposedly asking for £40m for the midfielder, that may not actually come as too much of a surprise to some people. Of course, having backtracked on his desire to leave the club twelve months ago, some will also be hoping that the player experiences a change of heart this time around if no acceptable offer is given to Tottenham.