Former Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan has revealed that he once tried to sign Real Madrid star Luka Modric, only to have the move blocked by the Magpies' board.
After a successful period in charge of Newcastle during the mid 1990s, Keegan returned to manage the club in 2008 following Sam Allardyce's dismissal.
Dennis Wise was soon appointed as executive director by owner Mike Ashley, and Tony Jiminez was given the role of vice-president of player recruitment.
In an extract from Keegan's new book, he has revealed that he was very eager to sign Modric, but was denied by the hierarchy at Newcastle.