Kevin De Bruyne and Luka Modric transfers show Serie A is 'an elephant graveyard' as Paolo Di Canio casts doubt on Man City and Real Madrid legends

Di Canio, a veteran of Serie A who played for teams like Lazio, Juventus, Napoli and AC Milan, is not too sold on the arrivals of legendary midfield duo De Bruyne and Modric. While the former striker admitted that they will bring a lot of quality to Italy, he remains sceptical about whether they can sustain their performance at the highest levels.

Modric left Real Madrid as their most decorated player of all-time, winning 28 titles in 13 years. He also broke the Ballon d'Or duopoly of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo by lifting the award in 2018. On the other hand, De Bruyne etched his name in Manchester City folklore after a glorious decade at the Etihad Stadium. He became one of the greatest midfielders in Premier League history, helping the club win the Champions League in 2023 as well as six league titles. 

Modric and De Bruyne, though, are well past their primes. The Croatian will turn 40 next month, while the Belgian turned 34 in June. While players such as Axel Witsel have claimed that the duo will battle it out for the title of the best midfielder in Serie A, Di Canio thinks otherwise.

Speaking on Corriere della Sera, Di Canio said: "The outlook is twofold: Italy continues to be an elephant's graveyard; before it was [Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Franck] Ribery, now it's De Bruyne and Modric."

He later on clarified that he has no doubts about the qualities of De Bruyne and Modric, but is doubtful about them making an impact on a consistent basis. He said: "They are [top players], of course. Meanwhile, I wonder how many games they can play at a high level, but above all, how much of their quality and technique will be absorbed by their teammates. It's difficult to imitate someone so unique. I mean, they can't do it alone if there's no team capable of circulating well around them. We'll certainly enjoy their quality, but those around them need to quickly learn to understand who they're playing with. Modric is a leader who knows how to communicate with the team: Milan will benefit from that, in a season where they only have the league."

Modric will be expected to make his competitive debut for the Rossoneri on Sunday, August 17, when Allegri's side take on Bari in the first round of the Coppa Italia. De Bruyne, meanwhile, will play his first official game for Napoli on August 23, in the opening game of Serie A against Sassuolo.