Harry Redknapp wants Luka Modric contract talks

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp insists Luka Modric deserves a pay rise despite his public plea to leave the club this summer.

Chelsea lodged at least three bids for the player in the close season - the last one a whopping £40million offer - but Spurs chairman Daniel Levy stood firm and refused to sell the star.

Modric himself angered many Spurs fans by giving two interviews declaring that he wanted to leave Tottenham and complete a "dream" move to Stamford Bridge.

The 26-year-old then angered Levy by attacking the chairman in an interview with a Croatian newspaper in which he accused the 49-year-old of reneging on an agreement that would allow him to leave if a big club came in for him this summer.

Modric then declined to play the club's game at Manchester United and Redknapp claimed the playmaker was being advised to do everything he could to engineer a move to Chelsea.

With the transfer window closed, Modric was forced to stay at Tottenham and he has thrived since, playing well at Wolves before scoring a blistering strike in yesterday's 4-0 win over Liverpool.

Despite his actions against the club, Redknapp thinks Modric's worth to the team warrants a rise on his current pay packet - which is reported to be between £40,000 and £50,000 a week.

Redknapp said: "If he is worth £40million then life tells you that you have to be paid accordingly doesn't it?

"You can't say he is worth £40million and want to pay him the wages of someone who is worth £5million. "That doesn't ring true does it? You have to look after the boy and I'm sure we will do that and his future is hopefully here.

"We have to convince him that his future is here and make it right for the boy, that's only fair as well, and I'm sure the chairman will be fair and make sure he does that."

Modric's 20-yard strike set Spurs on their way to victory yesterday before Jermain Defoe scored his third of the season and Emmanuel Adebayor marked his home debut by bagging a brace.

Adebayor, signed on a season-long loan earlier this month, now has three goals in two games for Spurs after developing a strong partnership with Defoe and Redknapp thinks the former Arsenal man can score 20 goals this year.

"I thought Adebayor was fantastic," Redknapp said.

"He has got a great football brain, great awareness, a great touch. He has three goals in two games. "There is no reason why he shouldn't be up there with 20 goals at least this year."

Redknapp thinks Defoe, who scored just four league goals last term, can also hit the 20-goal mark.

"The pair of them have linked up well together," Redknapp added.

"Jermain has been in great form. "Last year was probably his first bad year. Every year he is a 16 or 18 goals a year man. He should be hitting 20 a year with his finishing ability and this could be the year where he is back up to 20 goals a year."

Redknapp takes his side to Stoke tomorrow for the club's Carling Cup third round clash at the Britannia Stadium.

He will make wholesale changes to his team, with the likes of Jake Livermore, Giovani dos Santos and Jake Livermore expected to start.

The Spurs boss may also use the match to test the fitness of William Gallas and Sandro, who are fit again after missing the start of the season with calf and knee injuries.

Heurelho Gomes, who has fallen behind Brad Friedel and Carlo Cudicini in the pecking order, will return in goal, but is still likely to leave in January.

Redknapp said: "I don't think he is happy here, we don't want to kid ourselves. "He wants to play in the World Cup in Brazil. Obviously to do that he needs to be playing so it's going to be a problem. "We will wait and see where that takes us at the next window but while he is here you couldn't get a better pro. He has done nothing wrong at all."