Modric

Although if you do truly believe Modric has remained the same since his PL days, then it's bizarre that you laugh at suggestions that Modric was better or as good as Fabregas back then. Because that would suggest that you believe that prime Fabregas was far better than prime Modric

Thing is that prime for Fabregas ended in 2011. Sure, he's had 2 good spells in each of the seasons Chelsea won the title (both times, having a bad 2nd half of the season), but it REALLY is very easy to forget just how good Fabregas was for Arsenal. I had a similar argument about this with Liverpool fans who said Alonso was better than Fabregas, and again, they used Alonso's Real Madrid career while forgetting Fabregas was vastly more influential in the PL. In my opinion, similar to your saying Fabregas being a Spaniard boosted his reputation in his youth (not true at all), I believe players like Alonso and Modric were boosted simply by wearing the Madrid shirt. If Modric were exhibiting the very same form he's showing now in a team like say Dortmund or Inter Milan, he won't get nearly as many accolades. His reputation would be about the same level as Verratti in PSG who for me is every bit as good as Modric in that role.

You're making it seem like Real Madrid win CLs regularly without sweat. It's only this supremely gifted group of players e.g. Ronaldo, Modric, Ramos, Marcelo, etc who have made the impossible look simple. Modric has been a massive part of Real's recent dominance in the CL. You cannot simply dismiss his role by creating hypotheticals about Modric playing elsewhere, or other players playing in the Madrid team

No one is saying he hasn't been key among 6 or so consistent core players for Real Madrid in their winning run. I'm saying several other variables have created that chemistry and somewhat inflated the perception of what he's done. I watch something like 2 dozen Real Madrid games every season. In my opinion, the resilience of the squad, somehow annoyingly always surviving in adversity (the late Ramos headers, the battles with Bayern where the Germans never seem to have any luck, the great impacts from the bench, dubious reffing etc), and their firepower rivaled only by Barca is the core of their success. A side like Atletico lost 2 CL finals recently - one in extra time after Ramos heroics, and another in a shootout. Doesn't mean I think the likes of Koke are amazing players - nevermind mediocre players like Gabi (a super regular for donkey years) who wouldn't look out of place in Levante or Getafe. I do believe Modric's role is overrated and the likes of Kroos are weirdly underrated. If Modric played for this Tottenham team RIGHT NOW, he would look class (like Eriksen or Dembele or Kane do) but he wouldn't look like he belongs in a different league from your players.

I don't think a prime Cesc would look in a different league either, using that analogy

The fact of the matter is that Modric has consistently excelled at the highest levels of the game for years now. Higher levels than what Cesc reached

It's your opinion. I don't see the "higher level" if you mean his individual displays. If you mean he plays in a better team, and that means he's excelling at a higher level, I guess so.

Fabregas had his chance at Barcelona i.e 'a better team' and he was not successful, there's levels to this

comment by Analog (U17200)
posted 18 minutes ago
Fabregas had his chance at Barcelona i.e 'a better team' and he was not successful, there's levels to this
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3 seasons. 151 games. 42 goals and more assists. Spent in an awkward formation that tried to accommodate him in a side that already had Busquets, Xavi and Iniesta in midfield. Under a possession-mad ideologue in Pep who didn't suit his game.
Modric spent his first season in Madrid as first choice sub for Ozil. Was voted worst signing in La Liga that season. Ozil moved on. System was adapted to accommodate his game and he thrived. It's more complicated than simply making out one as a top-level failure and the other as a success.

Interestingly, Ozil who was seen as easily Real Madrid 's best player after Ronaldo gets no credit for that phase of his career when he's being ripped for his Arsenal "failures". He succeeded at that level, but people now say he's exposed without the likes of Ronaldo playing with him. So it's interesting to see the reverse argument of sorts with Modric.

Cringeworthy levels of excuse making for Fabregas failing at his spiritual home where literally everyone was behind him, backing him to succeed.

Even more credit then to Luka for overcoming the adversity of that first season when clueless idiots voted him as the worst signing.

So not only is he technically superior, but mentally he is "different class"

Cesc played as a false nine for a lot of his time at Barca, in fairness. In hindsight it was career suicide as he just wasn’t good enough to break up that triumverate, nobody was.

Doesn’t change the fact Fabregas was a much better player in England than Modric was.

Modric at Madrid in comparison is a different debate.