Luka Modric's AC Milan stardom 'not worrying' for Serie A as Inter chief admits Italian top-flight must face harsh reality after seeing Real Madrid splash big money on Franco Mastantuono

Modric, who recently turned 40, signed for AC Milan as a free agent over the summer after spending 13 illustrious seasons at Real Madrid. Kevin De Bruyne was another veteran midfielder who arrived in Italy, bolstering the ranks at defending champions Napoli. The duo have had a bright start to their careers in Serie A, which Inter president Marotta sees as a "positive advert for Italian football". However, he says Italian football simply must accept the financial superiority of other leagues, saying Serie A sides cannot match other European sides when it comes to signing the next generation of young stars. He cited the €45 million (£39m) spent by Real Madrid on Franco Mastantuono as evidence.

Speaking at a book launch event on Tuesday, Marotta said: "I don’t think it’s worrying that a 40-year-old is playing at this level in our league. I actually see him as a positive advert for Italian football. Our children fall in love with the game by watching a player like him. But the trajectory of our football is on the decline. Today, our league is a transitional one – it’s no longer the El Dorado it was in the 2000s. Nowadays, players come to us in the latter stages of their careers.

"All the top Italian clubs can spend, at most, €30–35 million on a 2004, 2005, or 2006-born player. Real Madrid spent €70 million [sic] on Mastantuono. The big clubs in Serie A have to rely on capital gains to operate in the market. Today, that’s a standard feature of club budgets. Without those capital gains, Milan, Inter, and Juventus wouldn’t be able to present a viable financial statement.

"That’s the difference between Italy and England. English TV rights, especially abroad, are worth four times more than ours and are sold for €3 billion. We barely reach €200 million. The economic aspect simply doesn’t give us competitive power."

According to figures provided by FIFA, the total amount spent by Premier League clubs on transfers in the summer window was more than the combined money spent by teams from the other top five leagues – Serie A, Bundesliga, La Liga and Ligue 1. Per the report, Premier League teams spent a record-breaking $3.19 billion, more than thrice the $950m spent by Serie A teams. Interestingly, teams from La Liga and Ligue 1 spent less than Serie A teams.

Serie A returns to action on October 18 after the end of the ongoing international break. Roma vs Inter, Como vs Juventus, Atalanta vs Lazio, and Milan vs Fiorentina are some of the high-voltage fixtures which will be played that weekend.