Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has reportedly made a personal plea to Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy to let Luka Modric join the club.
Chelsea, Manchester United, and Madrid are all keen on signing Modric, with the Spanish champions the huge favourites to win the race to sign the 26-year-old should he eventually get his move away from White Hart Lane.
Los Blancos and Tottenham are trying to agree a fee for the Croatian, with Spurs insisting he will not be allowed to leave unless their £40million valuation is met.
But according to the Daily Mirror, Mourinho has spoken to Levy by telephone to try and make peace with the north London club after they got tough with Modric after he went AWOL last weekend.
Levy is insisting Modric will not be sold on the cheap and is thought to be ready to even make him stay at the club for another year should clubs be unwilling to pay his asking price.
According to Saturday's report, Modric has told friends that he is angry because Tottenham had promised to let him go this summer after refusing to sell him to Chelsea this time last year.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has already insisted he will not pay more than £27m for the midfielder, but Mourinho is said to hope his intervention can help a move to go through.
Mourinho's assistant coach Aitor Karanka earlier this week said Modric would be a perfect fit for the club and hinted that his arrival would see Kaka leave the Bernabeu.
Karanka has been reluctant to comment on negotiations, but admitted the midfielder would be a good addition to Mourinho's squad.
"Which club would not want to have a player like him? He is a player that stood out in the Euros," he said.
"It is clear that he would fit in at Real Madrid."
Karanka also dropped a huge hint that signing Modric would likely lead to Kaka leaving the Spanish capital.
The Brazilian is a target for former club AC Milan, and Karanka added: "Kaka and the club are working to find a good solution for all parties.
"But Ricardo is [still] our player and a model of professionalism."