Luka Modrić has played 27 games for Real Madrid in the league this season.
Real Madrid captain Luka Modrić has spoken out about his uncertain future as he closes in on the final three months of his current contract at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, discussing what an exit from the Spanish champions could mean for his retirement plans.
The Croatian international is 39 but will turn 40 early on in the 2025/26 season and is yet to commit to Real Madrid with another 12-month contract for that campaign. If he does so, he will continue to extend his record as Real Madrid’s oldest ever player. He alreay broke the record, which had stood for 58 years, when he surpassed Ferenc Puskás’ 39 years and 36 days in October.
Discussing his future, Modrić refused to rule out either option, but appears to be delaying decisive talks on his future. “I don’t think about that now, but I have already said that I would like to retire at Real Madrid because it would be a dream for me, but let’s see what happens,” he told Telefoot.
“There is still a lot of season left and I have to focus on what’s left, because there are many games, let’s see what happens because I’m not in a hurry,” he added. Real Madrid remain involved in the La Liga title race as well as the UEFA Champions League, where the club face Arsenal in the quarter-finals in April, and the Copa del Rey, where the team have a 1-0 lead from the first leg of the semi-final against Real Sociedad.
Modrić’s role at Real Madrid this season
This season, Luka Modrić has made 44 appearances to date, playing a key role as part of the Real Madrid squad. Among those 44 games, 17 have been from the start, 11 times in the league and six times in the UEFA Champions League, all while donning the armband as club captain.
His role has been crucial, so much so that coach Carlo Ancelotti has described the Croatian as “a gift to soccer” in a press conference in February. “He should continue as long as he wants, what he does he does very well,” Ancelotti explained, while also comparing Modrić with another veteran he coached, Paolo Maldini, before adding, “we have been lucky to have a legend with us.”
Factors that could influence Modrić’s future
Real Madrid are not expected to fork out and invest in a new midfield star this summer, with transfer talk primarily focusing on defenders like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen.
However, it is true that the younger ranks of the Real Madrid squad continue to push on, with the likes of Arda Güler seeing their chances this season limited while Modrić and other veterans play more game time. Even ahead of Güler, Eduardo Camavinga nad Aurélien Tchouameni have shown their desire to be regular starters in a midfield which also boasts Fede Valverde and Dani Ceballos, who had impressed before a recent injury.
Modrić has shown himself to be fit and in good shape, avoiding any kind of injury or slowdown as he continues to feature regularly for Los Blancos as an important squad option for Ancelotti.
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