Luka Modric postpones AC Milan transfer until after Club World Cup as Real Madrid midfielder agrees one-year deal with Serie A side

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the 39-year-old will sign a one-year deal with an option for a second, but out of respect for Madrid, he has postponed his medical and official announcement until after his final tournament with the Spanish giants.

With Tijjani Reijnders departing for Manchester City, Milan are reshaping their midfield with proven winners like Modric and are also eyeing Granit Xhaka as a complementary reinforcement. Their options appear to have narrowed, with Adrien Rabiot opting to stay at Marseille despite contact with Massimiliano Allegri over a potential Serie A reunion.

Modric has not spoken publicly about the agreement but recently confirmed contact with the club. He is expected to arrive in Milan to finalise his transfer after Madrid's run in the competition ends.

The legendary midfielder has played 590 matches for the Bernabeu outfit, winning six Champions Leagues and 43 goals. He won the Ballon d’Or in 2018, breaking the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly. At the Club World Cup, he has won the Golden Ball and Silver Ball, and holds 186 caps for Croatia, a national record. The Madrid hero played a starring role in Croatia’s dominant 5-1 win over Czechia in the recent World Cup qualifiers, registering both a goal and an assist to help his side climb to six points in the standings. The veteran midfielder converted from the penalty spot to make it 2-0, setting a new milestone in the process. At 39 years and 9 months, he became the oldest player to score in a World Cup qualifier.

Modric will complete the Club World Cup with Los Blancos before officially joining Milan. He’ll miss pre-season but could become the Rossoneri's new midfield general under Allegri. With only one game per week and a lighter schedule, Milan hope to extract top performances from one of football’s great midfielders as a replacement for Reijnders.