Leave us worry about Bale, AVB warns Modric

Andre Villas-Boas has told Luka Modric to keep his nose out of Tottenham’s business before insisting it would be “completely impossible” for the club to sell Gareth Bale.

Modric, who left Spurs this summer, yesterday urged Bale to come and join him at Real Madrid, telling The Sun: “I know Gareth has a big dream of winning the Champions League and Madrid would be a great club for him to achieve it.”

Bale himself has admitted he would like to play abroad at some stage in his career, but Villas-Boas is keen to hang on to the 23-year-old, who has been in sensational form this season.

The Tottenham manager also took a swipe at the Croatian midfielder for meddling in Tottenham’s affairs, insisting he should be more worried about Real Madrid’s current poor form.

“I think he should focus more on his club than ours,” Villas-Boas said, ahead of today’s clash with Fulham.

“He has to worry about (Real’s) game against Atlético Madrid and about getting in to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

“Obviously Modric is aware of Gareth’s performances because of his love for Tottenham and the fact he is very connected with him and this football club, but it’s completely impossible (for Bale to leave).”

Meanwhile, Martin Jol insists there was nothing he could have done to persuade Clint Dempsey to stay at Fulham and even told the American he loved him before his summer departure.

Last season was the most successful season of the 29-year-old’s career, yet he made no attempt to hide his desire to leave Craven Cottage.

With less than a year left on his contract, Fulham eventually sold Dempsey to Spurs on transfer deadline day after a period of speculation that unsettled the midfielder. This week Dempsey intimated he could have stayed had he felt more “valued and appreciated”, but Jol yesterday laughed off those comments.

“We did everything we could do so there are no regrets,” Jol said. “He wanted to be appreciated financially and he wanted a bigger club, a Champions League club, and that is what he probably got.

“He didn’t feel appreciated financially, but I am not the one deciding over the contracts.

“Even when I said in my last conversation with him that I loved him, it was not good enough to keep him.”

Asked if there was anything Fulham could have done to get make him stay, Jol shook his head and said: “No, no.

“You know what he wanted. He wanted to go to a Champions League club. If you feel appreciated, you would like maybe to stay at Fulham, so there is a contradiction there.

“I think he felt loved but he still wanted to move, but of course I understand what he means.’’