West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has identified Real Madrid ace Luka Modric as the dream player he'd like to sign, when speaking to the club's official website.

What's the word?

Widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world, Luka Modric and Slaven Bilic have a close relationship due to their Croatian heritage and the fact that Bilic managed the midfielder during his tenure in charge of the international team.

The former Tottenham Hotspur star is a crucial part of Zinedine Zidane's side but, at 31, his years at the Santiago Bernabeu are limited and a return to English football is a possibility- and the Hammers would certainly benefit from his services.

Whether Modric in a claret and blue jersey is a genuine possibility remains to be seen but Bilic certainly dreams of making that happen.

What was said?

When asked by a young West Ham fan who he'd dream signing would be, Bilic responded by saying:

“Messi. But, there’s one player that I would maybe get before Messi, and that’s Modric. Of course [it’s because he’s Croatian]… and I get a discount.”

Could it happen?

Stranger things have happened but this would certainly be a huge surprise. That said, there is still the chance of Luka Modric plying his trade for West Ham in the future- but don't expect it to happen anytime soon.

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