The legend goes on: Modrić-Milan deal is close

A happy ending is nearing in the future of one of football's living legends, Luka Modrić. According to the report, Milan and the Croatian star are getting closer to an agreement on a contract renewal with each passing day. The 40-year-old midfielder's one-year contract expired on June 30 and, with the option year not exercised, the player had technically become a free agent; the matter on the table is a new one-year deal for the 2026/27 season.

The engine of the file is new head coach Ruben Amorim. The Portuguese coach laid out his intentions plainly at his unveiling: "He's a player we want to keep; I've spoken to him twice and if necessary I'll do it a third time, I never get tired. He's incredible, a key figure for us. I'm not saying he'll play every game, but we want to count on him next season. I think I'll have him back with us within a few days; now he needs to rest after the World Cup." Club owner Gerry Cardinale is also said to have publicly expressed his desire to continue with the Croatian star.

On Modrić's side, the decision process is running through his family. Weighing playing one more season against ending his career following Croatia's World Cup elimination, the star's scales are tipping towards continuing: his happiness in Milan — including his daughter playing for Milan's under-13 side — and his performances last season strengthen that lean. Starting 30 of 32 league matches in his first season after arriving on a free transfer from Real Madrid, the Croatian was so impressive with his tempo-controlling game despite his age that his former club were even written to have regretted letting him go.

In the spring, the continuity of the then-head coach was counted among his conditions to stay; although that figure departed, Amorim's personal insistence changed the balance. The final agreement is reported to be possible within the coming weeks; at a new-era Milan that has added Mario Gila and Gonçalo Ramos, Modrić is viewed as the symbolic figure of the project beyond his contribution on the pitch.

Source: Sky Sport
Image: beIN Sports