Will Luka Modric stay? Ruben Amorim attempting to convince veteran midfielder to trigger AC Milan contract extension

Ruben Amorim has hit the ground running at Milan, and his first order of business involves securing the short-term future of the club's most experienced figure. The Portuguese tactician views Luka Modric not just as a rotational piece, but as a fundamental cornerstone for the dressing room culture he intends to build in Milan.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Amorim has already had a phone call with the Croatian international. The manager is eager for Modric to trigger the one-year extension clause present in his current deal, believing that his technical quality and elite mentality remain unmatched despite his advancing years.

While a definitive administrative agreement has not yet been formally signed, an absolute harmony of intent exists between both parties to prolong the alliance. The former Real Madrid superstar settled in well at Milan over the past year – a comfort deeply reinforced by personal family roots, including his daughter Ema thriving within the Milan Under-13 academy setup.

Modric had initially harboured subtle competitive reservations about extending his stay after the Rossoneri mathematically failed to secure Champions League qualification for the upcoming campaign. However, the allure of spearheading an ambitious European League campaign, coupled with the driving challenge of restoring the historic heavyweight club to Europe's top table, has successfully reshaped his tactical motivation.

Should Modric finalise the contractual formalities, his second year at San Siro will look drastically different from the rigid defensive system deployed under former manager Max Allegri. Amorim's arrival signals a transition toward an intensely demanding, attacking tactical blueprint that will require a complete overhaul of how the 40-year-old’s physical minutes are managed.

Under the incoming Portuguese manager, the veteran will no longer be expected to exhaustively anchor every single competitive minute on the pitch. With Milan set to navigate a gruelling domestic schedule alongside extensive Europa League travel, Amorim plans to use Modric with surgical precision, utilising his elite vision in tailored intervals to maximise his impact.

Modric, who will celebrate his 41st birthday in September, made 37 appearances for Milan across all competitions last season, starting 32 of them and racking up 2,864 minutes on the pitch while contributing two goals and three assists.

At the World Cup, the veteran midfielder started in all four of Croatia's matches – against England, Panama, Ghana and Portugal – providing an assist in the win over Ghana before his tournament journey came to an end in the round of 32, as they fell 2-1 to Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal side.