Football News

How AC Milan tried and failed to get Luka Modric to leave Real Madrid

By Steve Jennings

Published: 17:59, 4 September 2019

AC Milan chief officer Zvonimir Boban has suggested the Italian club tried to sign Luka Modric this summer but the Croatian did not want to leave Real Madrid.

Modric was heavily linked with Inter Milan a year ago but it was the other San Siro club who tried to lure him to Serie A this summer.

Will Modric leave Real Madrid next summer? Five things to know…

  • Modric has one year left on his Real Madrid contract.
  • He was the subject of interest from Inter Milan last summer.
  • And AC Milan attempted to sign him this time around.
  • Modric has won La Liga and four Champions League titles with Real.
  • He will be free to agree pre-contract terms with other clubs in January.

The Croatian, who won the Ballon d’Or in 2018 following an incredible year for club and country, has now entered the final 12 months of his contract in the Spanish capital.

And according to Boban, Modric did not want to leave Real Madrid after suffering a poor season at the Bernabeu last term.

“Luka is a great Milanese player,” Boban told Sky Italia.

“He’s a great player but it’s difficult to sign him. He didn’t want to leave Madrid after a bad season.”

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Modric survived a squad overhaul at Madrid this summer and started in the opening game of the season at Celta Vigo.

However, the 33-year-old was sent off and subsequently missed the following game against Real Valladolid. He came off the bench in Real’s next match against Villarreal.

Meanwhile, Milan signed another Croatian, Ante Rebic, on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt on deadline day. The forward became the club’s seventh signing of a busy summer transfer window.

Boban added: “We didn’t find the economic conditions we wanted.

“We dealt with other players in the same position. We’ll see. We have a good squad.”