Croatia's Modric Set for Premier League Auction

Dinamo Zagreb's president arrived in London yesterday for negotiations with Premier League clubs to sell Luka Modric to the highest bidder. Modric was the play maker at the heart of the Croatia team that knocked England out of the qualifiers for Euro 2008 at Wembley last month and Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea are all thought likely to be interested when the transfer window opens on Tuesday.

Zdravko Mamic sold Eduardo da Silva from Dinamo to Arsenal last summer and says he wants up to £18m for Modric, who can play behind the forwards or on the left of midfield. The Chelsea manager, Avram Grant, watched Modric play for his country in their defeat by Macedonia last month and Arsenal have also been linked with the player - a club scout watched him play for Dinamo when they lost to Hamburg in the Uefa Cup at the start of this month.

The former Arsenal forward Arturo Lupoli has been linked with a return to another of his former clubs, Derby County, by his agent, Claudio Pasqualin. "We are in discussions with the club. Arturo is a wanted man and we are not short of offers," he said.

The Brazilian club Flamengo are holding talks with Milan about buying Ronaldo. Flamengo's vice-president, Kleber Leite, said the Italians have given them permission to approach Ronaldo, who is in Brazil for treatment on an injury.

"This is not a marketing manoeuvre," Leite said. "It's a negotiation I've been conducting for the past three days. I've talked twice with [the Milan official and former Brazil international] Leonardo and Ronaldo." Leite said both parties appeared interested in a deal but nothing had been agreed yet. "These talks were conceptual only. We haven't talked about salaries or transfer fees. We just started to negotiate."