With AC Milan said to be closing in on the signing of midfield stalwart Luka Modric, the experienced veteran could prove to be a vital addition for Massimiliano Allegri.
As per Antonio Vitiello, the Rossoneri have reached an agreement with the 39-year-old and a deal is almost complete to sign him on a free transfer, while he’ll pen a one-year deal with an option to extend for a further 12 months.
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Following on from a trophy-laden spell at Real Madrid where he won every trophy on offer and picked up just a few individual accolades too including a Ballon d’or in 2018, the Croatian icon will continue his illustrious career after his contract with the Spanish giants ends later this month, and it will be a joy to see him in a Milan shirt, provided that the deal goes through as expected.
Importantly though, it has to be more than just a big-name signing who is playing out the final years of his career in a comfortable and settled environment.
Should Modric arrive, he will have a fundamental role to play for Allegri, as his experience, leadership and ability to set the tone and standard within the squad will all be critical to helping us rebuild after a turbulent and disappointing campaign last year.
The midfield metronome still has the ability to dictate tempo and possession on the pitch, and so he’ll be the general on the field for Allegri with the job of orchestrating things around him and implementing his desired tactical gameplan.
Off the pitch, Modric’s experience of being in a winning culture and passing that knowledge on will be paramount, as this is a Milan side that fell well short of expectations last season, and need to be developed and given help by those coming in this summer to reinforce the squad and build the foundations for future success.
While he may not have the legs anymore to be our engine room on a consistent basis, we’ll hopefully see that he has plenty left in the tank and is a regular starter rather than someone who comes off the bench in the latter stages of games when needed. Particularly with Milan having less games next season having missed out on European football entirely, Modric will perhaps play often and a lot depending on his fitness levels and ability to stay injury-free.
The likes of Youssouf Fofana and Ruben Loftus-Cheek will give us the energy, physicality and athleticism that we need to find the right balance in midfield, and so if we combine that with the craft, precision and tempo-setting of Modric, it will hopefully prove to be a genius first addition from sporting director Igli Tare to help Allegri implement his preferred system and style of play with Modric as well equipped as anyone to see the game the way he does and execute that on the pitch.
