Luka Modric joins AC Milan on free transfer
An interesting bit of confirmed news from the San Siro
Luka Modric has joined AC Milan on a free transfer, bringing to an end a glittering 13-year spell at Real Madrid.
Author | Josh D
The 39-year-old midfielder has agreed a deal that runs until June 2026, with Milan holding an option to extend it by a further year.
Modric confirmed in May that he would depart Real Madrid following the Club World Cup in the United States. His move reunites him with Massimiliano Allegri, who returned to Milan this summer for a second spell as manager, replacing Sergio Conceição. Allegri described the Croatian captain as an “extraordinary player” when news of the deal first emerged.
A Ballon d’Or winner in 2018, Modric departs the Bernabéu as the most decorated player in the club’s history, having collected 28 major trophies, including six Champions League titles and four La Liga crowns, since joining from Tottenham in 2012.
He scored 43 goals in 597 appearances for the Spanish side, with his final outing coming in last week’s 4-0 Club World Cup semi-final defeat by Paris Saint-Germain. A sad way to end a remarkable time at the club.
Modric remains eager to represent Croatia at next year’s World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the US.
Milan, who finished eighth in Serie A last season, failed to qualify for European competition.
A closer look at his career so far
Luka Modric began his professional career with Dinamo Zagreb in 2003, following loan spells at Zrinjski Mostar in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Inter Zaprešić in Croatia. He made his first-team debut for Dinamo in 2005 and quickly impressed, earning a move to the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur in 2008.
Throughout his time in North London, Modric played a key role in helping Spurs secure qualification for the UEFA Champions League in 2010, their first in nearly half a century.
In the summer of 2012, he signed for Real Madrid in a £30 million deal. He lifted the Champions League trophy in his second season at the Bernabéu and would go on to become a central figure in one of the most successful eras in the club’s history.
