Football transfers: How will AC Milan use Luka Modric next Serie A season?

After over a decade of winning hearts and dazzling spectators at the Santiago Bernabéu, midfield ace Luka Modric is set for a new chapter in Italy. The 39-year-old Croatian skipper will join Serie A team AC Milan in August after completing his final campaign with Real Madrid at the FIFA Club World Cup.

The veteran has agreed to a one-year contract with the Rossoneri, which will run up to June 2026, with an optional extension to the next year. Modric will reportedly earn a net salary of €3.5 million, along with performance-based incentives. A significant pay cut from his days with Los Blancos, but also a sign of his commitment to his career.

The move has been confirmed by AC Milan’s new head coach Massimiliano Allegri, and sporting director Igli Tare. They see Modric as a crucial addition to a squad undergoing an intensive tactical rebuild. According to various reports, Allegri is expected to deploy him as a deep-lying playmaker, anchoring the midfield in a 4-3-3 system. This would be familiar territory for the midfielder, who has consistently proven his balance and mettle at the center of the ground. 

"He is an important and extraordinary player who needs no introduction," Allegri told the press. "We will play with three midfielders, then depending on the characteristics, we will get them all on the field."

Modric departs Real Madrid after having cemented his status as an influential midfielder not just in Madrid but in the world as well.

AC Milan was at their peak under Silvio Berlusconi’s regime, especially under the coaching of former team player Carlo Ancelotti, who, coincidentally was Modric's boss at Real Madrid. However, the team faced a major decline after 2012 and is now aiming to return to its glory days.

If all goes according to plan, the Croatian star will wear red and black by early August, just in time for the 2025–26 Serie A campaign.