GdS: Milan or nothing – why Modric is now expected to stay for another year

Luka Modric has narrowed his future down to two options: he will either stay with AC Milan, or he will retire from football altogether.

La Gazzetta dello Sport report that Modric wanted to end his time at Milan a standing ovation and he got it, but not for the right reasons. He was forced off during the draw with Juventus having been left dazed after a clash of heads with Manuel Locatelli, one that has ended his season early.

Read SempreMilan ad-free and get access to exclusive news. Click here for a free trial!

This isn’t how Modric wanted to leave San Siro and Milan, yet the injury that sidelined him for the last four league games may have ultimately extended his Rossoneri career. It’s not just a matter of goodbyes: Luka has once again been touched by the affection of the team and the club.

Two positive signs

Two other pieces of the puzzle are falling into place. The first is the Massimiliano Allegri’s continued tenure on the bench and the second is club’s pursuit of the Champions League, which is now only six points away from being sealed.

The bond Modric has with Allegri is very strong, and not just because Modric dictated play for well over 2,000 minutes, an event that had not happened in five years. He only came close to the 2,788 minutes he will finish on in 2025-26 back in 2020-21, when he played 2,743 minutes in LaLiga.

The Champions League is starting to appear on the horizon, where Luka would very much like to play with Milan. Qualification is now almost certain, this time without the Maestro, as they call Modric within the group.

So, the contract extension is approaching. To renew his vows, all that’s needed is for Luka to say ‘I do’. There are no agreements to be negotiated: there’s a clause that allows the club to extend the contract for another season, with salary and related bonuses already defined last summer.

However, Milan will activate this clause only with the champion’s permission. To resolve any reservations, they will likely have to wait until after the World Cup. It will be the moment when Luka will test his true fitness and the motivation needed for another testing campaign.

Decision made

The only temptation might be Croatia, this time seen as a chance to return home. For nearly 20 years – between England, Spain and Italy – Luka hasn’t returned to the Croatian top flight. He left Dinamo Zagreb for Spurs in 2008, before enjoying career-defining success in Madrid then heading to Milan.

Dinamo Zagreb would be happy to welcome him back and their president Zvonimir Boban is someone the midfielder has big admiration for. In fact, the great ‘Zvone’ drew him to AC Milan as a child, but it’s likely he will snub a return, as he will with the MLS and Saudi offers.

If Modric were to leave Milan, he would call time on his incredible career. In other words, it will either be an extension with Milan or farewell to football. Either way, San Siro would become the stage for his final applause before his definitive retirement from the sport.

It happened, equally surprisingly, on the last night of the 2022-23 season, when Zlatan Ibrahimovic announced that ‘the time had come to say goodbye to football’. His teammates from back then bid him farewell with emotion, with Sandro Tonali even in tears.

In just one season, Modric won over everyone: the fans, the team, the staff, the club. Everyone who had the chance to meet him at Milanello have described him as a humble and kind champion.

Today, he’s joined by his wife, children and parents, who arrived immediately after the injury that required surgery. The entire Milan team were there, too, and they can’t wait to have him back at Milanello. Hopefully for another year.