For many the Manchester City revolution started with the arrival of Sheikh Mansour and the £33million he splashed out on Robinho on deadline day in the summer of 2008.

For others, it was the arrival of Vincent Kompany just weeks before, but it all could have begun with the capture of the highly promising talent of Luka Modric.

City's life president Bernard Halford has claimed a deal was in place to sign the then- 22-year-old from Dinamo Zagreb for £10m only for the deal to collapse when City's owner at the time, Thaksin Shinawatra, saw his assets frozen shortly before selling the club.

Real Madrid's Luka Modric won UEFA's Player of the Year following the 2017-18 campaign

Halford who was the club secretary at the Etihad Stadium states that City's interest in Modric heightened after Vedran Corluka, who was then at City, had been talking up the midfielder's potential.

Corluka had played with Modric at Dinamo and along with his international team-mate helped Croatia knock England out of Euro 2008 during the qualifying stage.

'When Dr Shinawatra was here we could have signed Modric,' Halford siad.

Modric was being tracked by top European clubs during his time at Dinamo Zagreb

Modric and Vedran Corluka (centre) have enjoyed a close relationship throughout their careers

'Shinawatra was very excited – he had come to me to say we were about to make a big signing, one of the best players in the world, and that's who it was.

'Charlie Corluka had lined it up for Modric to come to us, but when the money was needed, Shinawatra's money was frozen in Thailand.

'He came to me on the first day of the season to say he had to resign, so we didn't get Modric.

'It would have been for around £10million – and now he's in for the Ballon D'Or.'

The delay in the deal allowed Tottenham Hotspur to swoop for Modric, before they also signed Corluka later in the summer from City.

Manchester City life president Bernard Halford poses with the FA Cup in 2011. He tells how City nearly signed Modric from Dinamo Zagreb in 2008

David Silva went on to join City for £25million two years after their failed pursuit for Modric

After a slow start under Juande Ramos, Modric soon found his best form under the management of Harry Redknapp before leaving for Real Madrid for £30million in 2012.

Should City have managed to sign Modric it could have prevented them from landing David Silva in the summer of 2010 for £25m.

Silva joined shortly after they were pipped to a Champions League place by Tottenham and has gone to prove a key player in their rise from elite outsiders to one of the best sides in Europe.

MODRIC vs SILVA: TEAM HONOURS LUKA MODRIC Champions League: (4) 2014, 2016-18 La Liga: 2017 Copa del Rey: 2014 Club World Cup: (3) 2014, 2016-17 DAVID SILVA World Cup: 2010 Euros: (2) 2008, 2012 Premier League: (3) 2012, 2014, 2018 FA Cup: 2011 League Cup: (3) 2014, 2016, 2018 Copa del Rey: 2008 Advertisement