Ivan Rakitic, the former teammate and close friend of Luka Modric, has suggested that the veteran could remain at Milan for another two or three seasons.
Most would agree that Modric has been one of the signings of the season in Serie A, if not the best one. His impact has simply been incredible, from his leadership to contributions on the pitch, and Massimiliano Allegri has made that clear time after time.
One person who knew this was coming is Rakitic, who is a close friend of the midfielder and also spent many years as his teammate (and midfield partner) in the Croatian national team. Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, he also suggested that the Milan saga might not end after this season.
At Milan, they are hoping to enjoy him for another season…
“Just one? The way I see it, Modric can keep going for another two or three seasons at least.”
The Scudetto is currently being played for. Do Milan still have a chance of winning it?
“Inter are seven points ahead and are obviously the favourites, but Sunday’s derby showed that Milan aren’t there by chance and can fight for it. There are still several games to go, and in football, you never say never.
“Knowing Modric, he certainly won’t have given up. In fact, I can tell you he still has a great desire to lift trophies.”
If not now, maybe next year? He has an option to extend for another year…
“Who knows (laughs). But rest assured, if Luka stays at Milan, he will do it to win.”
Meanwhile, in Milan, he’s adapted to playing as an all-round midfielder too…
“Because the team’s best interests come first. If Modric needs to be like Gattuso, then he will do it. He has always been intelligent, simply a leader.”
One striking statistic is that Modric has started 26 out of a possible 28 league games so far, while he hasn’t missed a single one of them due to injury. Clearly, his physical condition still allows him to play at the highest level and perhaps that can push him to a renewal.
