You had to check the date to be certain it wasn’t an April Fool.
‘Hi Swansea fans, I’m Luka Modric and I’m excited to be part of the journey,’ read the update on the midtable Championship club’s website.
This was a rub-your-eyes moment for the Jack Army. A Ballon d’Or winner, Real Madrid’s most decorated star with 28 major trophies and a veteran of 186 Croatia caps, joining Swansea as an investor and co-owner.
‘This is an exciting opportunity, Swansea has a strong identity, an incredible fanbase and the ambition to compete at the highest level,’ the Croat continued, while holding a Swansea-branded football.
The question that immediately sprung to mind is why on earth Modric was investing in Swansea, as he became the latest in a string of celebrity owners in UK football that includes NFL legend Tom Brady (Birmingham), actor Michael B Jordan (Bournemouth), Gary Neville and David Beckham (Salford City), and, three hours up the road this side of the border, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney (Wrexham).
But Mail Sport can reveal this partnership was a long time in the making, and can be traced back to November last year.
Legendary footballer Luka Modric joined Swansea City as an investor and co-owner in April
The 39-year-old Croatian midfielder won 28 major trophies with Real Madrid in just 13 seasons
He also won the Ballon d’Or in 2018, the year he led Croatia to a silver medal at the World Cup
The turbulent reign of Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan had come to an end, with Americans Brett Cravatt, Andy Coleman, Jason Cohen and Brit Nigel Morris taking a majority shareholding in Swansea. Cravatt and Cohen have spoken about the need for Swansea to increase revenue and cut costs after the club made a pre-tax loss of £15.2million in the last financial year, and £17.9m the year before.
The pair were looking for a world-class player to join as an investor to raise the club’s global profile, with chairman Coleman saying Swansea must become ‘a Championship club not doing Championship things’.
Feelers were put out and Modric’s long-term agent, Borja Couce, revealed his client was keen to seize the opportunity. Conversations ramped up at the end of last year, but the move was kept under wraps – Mail Sport understands large numbers of club staff weren’t even aware something was brewing until a deal was near completion.
Multiple meetings were held between Modric, Couce and Swansea’s ownership over video call, and members of the club’s hierarchy visited the Croat in Spain.
Couce came to watch a 1-0 home victory over Middlesbrough in March, before being shown around the city and club’s training ground by CEO Tom Gorringe and director of football Richard Montague.
Modric, who is leaving Real Madrid after 13 years, had already been attracted to the business side of sport before the Swansea opportunity arose and is said to be very passionate about the project and driving the club forward.
The 39-year-old’s exact stake is not confirmed, though it is understood to be a similar level to the 3.3 per cent holding Brady has in Birmingham. It adds to a portfolio that includes a real estate company in Madrid, Croatian sports social network Sportening and Zeppelin Craft Brewery in the city of Bjelovar in his homeland.
There has been an incredible reaction both internally and externally at having one of the world’s greatest footballers associated with Swansea, with those inside the club said to be ‘over the moon’.
Modric will leave Real Madrid after 591 appearances, the ninth-most in the club’s history
It was an emotional goodbye for Modric, who has been one of the world’s greatest midfielders
Modric’s arrival in south Wales mirrors NFL icon Tom Brady’s investment in Birmingham City
He certainly fits the bill of someone who can raise the club’s profile – he has 38.1million followers on Instagram, 81 times as many as Swansea on 467,000.
One report following his arrival claimed he had purchased a house in the Gower village of Three Crosses from Swans legend Leon Britton. But Mail Sport can confirm this story is incorrect having tracked down Britton, though the former midfielder is understandably excited at what this partnership could mean.
‘I think it’s great, him coming on board,’ Britton, who played 520 times for Swansea and was a member of the 2013 League Cup-winning side, tells us. ‘What he’s achieved in the game and what he’s done has been incredible, so it’s a great coup.
‘Any input from him can only have a positive impact. Imagine if you were a potential signing and got a call from Luka Modric outlining what the club is looking to do and their ambitions.’
That, we can reveal, is already under way. Mail Sport understands Modric held talks with Sweden Under 21 international Zeidane Inoussa last month before the winger chose to join Swansea from BK Hacken. He has also spoken to other targets as the club aim to get back to the Premier League after seven years away.
Modric is excited to share his football expertise and although he is yet to secure a base in the city, he has already made his mark. The Croat has been shown detailed plans by the club and has taken a firm interest in their strategy.
Club figures believe this is the start of what should be a prosperous relationship, with the message from Modric’s camp said to be ‘any way he can help the club he will’. He is understood to be planning a visit to a game and the club’s training ground as soon as his schedule allows.
Of course, the biggest transfer Swansea could make would be to sign Modric himself. Sources in Spain said he was hoping to stay at Real Madrid, but it was ultimately the club’s decision to part ways with the Croat, who wants to represent his country at the 2026 World Cup.
Modric, who has 186 Croatia caps, wants to represent his country at next summer’s World Cup
Modric played against Swansea in his final season at Tottenham before joining Real Madrid
Swansea needed a shot in the arm after a difficult season that saw boss Luke Williams sacked
Unsurprisingly, some rumours have circulated about Modric joining Swansea. The prospect of that is viewed as extremely unlikely, though insiders admit it would be the best way to boost the value of his investment.
Meanwhile, ever since news of Modric’s involvement was announced, there has been a buzz around Swansea and fans can barely hide their excitement.
Two regulars in the Railway Inn, a renowned Swansea pub minutes from the stadium that is bustling on matchdays, talk about the surreal nature of the link-up and believe only good things can arise. There is a similar feeling in Rossi’s, the famous fish and chips shop opposite the ground, and Dafydd Weaver, one supporter who stops for a chat outside the club shop, sums up the mood.
‘I couldn’t believe it,’ he says about first seeing news of Modric’s investment. ‘I never thought something like this would happen and you never expect it to happen to your club. Welsh football is the place to be at the minute with Wrexham and now us. People are buzzing and everyone’s talking about it so it’s exciting to see how it pans out.’
Adrian and Keogh Kiernan, father and son who have season tickets, share a similar feeling. ‘It was a pinch-me moment,’ Keogh explains, just as another more pessimistic fan in the background overhears our conversation and interjects: ‘It can’t get any worse’.
‘Having one of the best midfielders of this generation as part of our club is just surreal,’ Keogh continues. ‘You look back and go, “oh my God” so it’s great for the club. It’s great timing as well with the club’s recent history. We needed that sort of kickstart to get things going again.’
Swansea shirts with Modric’s name on the back have already proven popular and the arrival of a global superstar is expected to have non-footballing impacts, too.
Torsten Bell, Labour MP for Swansea West, explains: ‘His backing of the Swans is a real vote of confidence in the club and the city itself and I’m excited to see the potential Modric’s involvement unlocks in the years ahead.’
There was an upturn at the end of the season as Swansea won seven of their 13 games under interim manager Alan Sheehan, who has subsequently secured the job on a permanent basis
Swansea have been out of the Premier League for seven years, losing in the 2021 play-off final
Good times could be on their way back with a sprinkling of Galactico gold dust on the Gower
On the pitch, it has been four years since Swansea lost in the Championship play-off final to Brentford and they have barely flirted with a return to the Premier League since during a difficult period.
Things came to a head last November when just 12,869 attended their 1-0 home win over Watford. Attendances in the early part of this year were the lowest they have been in more than a decade, with manager Luke Williams losing his job amid a torrid run.
Insiders speak of a feeling of ‘apathy’ but interim head coach Alan Sheehan’s impact at the back end of the campaign – winning seven of 13 games to finish 11th, seven points off the play-offs, form that saw him handed the job on a permanent basis – coupled with the arrival of Modric has given the club a shot in the arm.
There is a genuine feeling good times are on their way back, with a sprinkling of Galactico gold dust on the Gower.
