Massimiliano Allegri has already had chance to think about where Luka Modric will play in his AC Milan side, and the answer is almost everywhere.
Read SempreMilan ad-free and get access to exclusive news. Click here for a free trial!
La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) asks the question: where will Modric play? The answer is almost obvious: anywhere in midfield. Because, as they loved to say in his golden days in Madrid, Luka is the best possible mezzala, but also the best regista and the best playmaker.
At Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti used him both in the two in midfield (the famous double pivot) and further forward, while with Zinedine Zidane he was a mezzala with build-up duties and the license to roam between the lines as well.
What about with Allegri at Milan? Much will depend on the team that will be built around the Croatian, especially after the sale of Tijjani Reijnders.
Modric: The midfield all-round
At the moment, with the departure of Reijnders, Milan do not have many certainties in midfield. If they were to play tomorrow, it is likely that Max would use Luka as a regista, more than anything for his tactical intelligence and the lack of energy in the other players in the department.
Allegri has in mind a Milan with a 4-3-3, but with the addition of Modric the formation could be very flexible, becoming almost a 4-2-3-1. The Croatian can start as a mezzala to drop down to receive the ball and start the build-up or to move up and be found between the lines.
The fact that he is capable of doing both functions is well explained by the data from the season just concluded in Spain. On a per 90 average, Modric is first for assists, attempted passes and progressive passes.
However, his numbers on intercepted balls should not be underestimated either, because he may not have the pace or strength of 10 years ago, but he knows how to compensate with experience and tactical readings.
It is clear that if a physical midfielder like Mark van Bommel were to arrive at Milan – and the plan is to sign two more midfielders – Allegri could easily use Modric as a box-to-box player, with Youssouf Fofana on the other side.
If, however, the market were not to provide that type of player, Luka could start further back or as an attacking midfielder, even if Allegri always preferred the ‘invaders’ like Kevin-Price Boateng to the classic ’10’ of touch and imagination.