To say AC Milan endured a sub-par 2024-25 would be an understatement.
A team of the Rossoneri’s stature should not be finishing as low as eighth in Serie A. To go a full season without European football; it was a nightmare scenario. In the process, they lost a handful of key players. Tijjani Reijnders moved to Manchester City. Theo Hernandez joined Al-Hilal. Malick Thiaw and Yacine Adli also left.
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AC Milan, though, are a globally recognised brand. They still have the pull, even without European football. The return of Massimiliano Allegri further boosted their reputation. Players still want to play for the Milan giants. The club retained the services of the likes of Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic and Mike Maignan.
Granted, the latter is out of contract next summer and unwilling to extend his stay in Milan, but it speaks volumes of Milan’s stature. In addition, they added Christopher Nkunku, Samuele Ricci, Pervis Estupinan and Adrien Rabiot to the squad. Koni De Winter had Premier League suitors, yet ended up at San Siro.
The stand out addition, however, didn’t cost AC Milan a penny a penny in transfer fees.
“Milan cannot be satisfied with average,” Luka Modric said at his AC Milan unveiling in July.
The Croat left Real Madrid after 13 scintillating years in Spain. He moved to Italy having won the Champions League six times and La Liga four times. It was the shot in the arm Milan needed.
Modric the tempo setter
Now 40 years of age, Modric is defying father time to prove the driving force in Milan’s unlikely title pursuit. The race for the Scudetto has never been closer. Just one point separates the top four ahead of the final round of games before the international break. Defending champions Napoli lead the way with 22 points. Inter Milan, AC Milan and Roma are all locked on 21.
And while Pulisic leads the way for goals (four) and assists (two), Modric has arguably been Milan’s key man in the opening weeks of the season. Allegri has implemented a 3-5-2 setup following his return to the San Siro. This was to be expected from the Italian, whose preference has always been a three-man backline.
At the heart of the midfield is Modric. The experienced Croatia international has completed more passes (597) than any other player in Serie A this season. He’s pulling strings until his fingers bleed. In addition, Modric’s 56 completed long passes ranks 13th in the division. Exclude goalkeepers, and he rises to third.
Getting Milan forward
For an AC Milan side that doesn’t necessarily dominate games – they have managed just 50.9% possession in Serie A this season – Allegri looks to Modric to set the tempo. Despite the lack of possession, they actually rank top for pass accuracy (87.5%) in the division. Modric is an incredibly capable distributor and is key in setting the Rossoneri on the frontfoot.
They are able to soak up pressure before seeking to hit teams on the counter. AC Milan rank fifth for shots following a counter attack (10). Much of this is down to Modric’s range of passing. He can keep play ticking over in a key area before releasing upfield or to the flanks to maximise wing-backs Estupinan or Davide Bartesaghi on the left, and Alexis Saelemaekers on the right.
What’s crucial about Modric’s play is that he is so often looking to get Milan forward. Excluding goalkeepers, Modric ranks third for forward passes (206) in the 2025-26 Serie A campaign. He’s also creating 2.26 chances per 90 minutes. Only Pulisic (3.61) is averaging more for Allegri’s men.
Excelling off the ball
And it’s not just what Modric does on the ball that has quickly won over the hearts of the Rossoneri. Indeed, he ranks among the 60th-80th percentile for tackles per 90 (1.95). Interceptions per 90 (1.54) is among the 80th-95th. Only Bryan Cristante (34) has won possession in the midfield third more times than the Milan star (33). While Modric rarely needed to exhibit the defensive side to his game for Real Madrid, he’s doing so to an impressive standard for the Milan powerhouse.
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AC Milan have a testing trip to Parma to navigate on Saturday night. It’s a banana skin game that would go some way to determining they are in a title fight or lack the mettle to go the distance. However, with Modric utilising the experience garnered during a glittering career, supporters will expect all the spoils at the Ennio Tardini Stadium this weekend.
Modric is one of the most intelligent players in the game, and his presence alone is enough to elevate those around him. The way with which he carves open space both on and off the ball is why he’s still playing football to the highest standard. If Milan do manage to land the Scudetto, it’ll largely be down to the performances and mentality of their midfield maestro.