CorSport: Milan hoping to keep Modric for one more year – the midfielder’s stance

Another report has claimed that Luka Modric is expected to renew his contract with AC Milan for another year, therefore until 2027.

Corriere dello Sport report that Modric arrived at Milan with a clear statement of intent: he wants to win with the Rossoneri and go to the World Cup with Croatia. By November, he was already halfway there as his nation secured direct qualification for next summer’s tournament with a match to spare.

He’ll be going to the United States next summer, thanks in part to Milan who are allowing him to keep playing at a high level, and he will return with the possibility of continuing his Rossoneri adventure.

A fifth World Cup, then what?

Modric’s first World Cup was in 2006 in Germany, he missed the one in 2010, then finished second in the 2018 edition in Russia and third in the 2022 one in Qatar.

In the all-time rankings, the former Real Madrid player is in 15th place all time with 19 appearances at the tournament, seven behind leader Leo Messi and three behind Cristiano Ronaldo, the only players in the top 20 who are still active.

Beyond the statistics and records to break, however, for Modric it was important to be there with the captain’s armband on his arm for his country. For this reason he chose Milan, to stay in top physical and mental condition rather than taking more pay from an inferior league.

Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

For now, Milan are allowing him to pursue his dreams. Modric is playing with remarkable consistency: in eleven league games, the Croatian has started 11 times. He hasn’t missed a single one, always appearing in the XI and often playing full matches.

He doesn’t seem to need any rest: 965 minutes played, 91% passing accuracy, one goal scored and two assists. Massimiliano Allegri has fielded him as a Regista relying on both his innate ability as a playmaker and his ability to read the game to improve the team defensively too.

Such centrality in Milan’s playmaking suggests it would be difficult to say goodbye after just one year. Yes, he will be 41 next September, but his form still seems to suggest he can do another season playing at a high level.

For this reason, the management are already thinking of a contract extension, even if it’s easy to imagine that Modric will have the final say. The goal this season is to win with Milan, then head to a final World Cup, then make the right decision for the future.