REAL MADRID
Luka Modric rejects Saudi Arabia rumours: “I am so happy at Real Madrid”
The Croatian midfielder has been on the radar of Saudi Arabia all summer, although it appears his heart remains with Real Madrid.
Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric has quashed claims that he may be on the verge of a move to Saudi Arabia by saying he feels “so happy” at the Santiago Bernabéu.
This summer has seen dozens of high-profile players in Europe make the move to Saudi Arabia as the league continues to grow. PIF, the Saudi Public Investment Fund, owns the top four clubs in the league, effectively giving them state wealth, meaning that the insane spending power has been off the scale this summer.
Moves for players such as Neymar, Karim Benzema, Koulibaly, Carrasco, Firmino, Mané, Laporte, Mahrez, Henderson and of course, Cristiano Ronaldo, have seen the European game shaken as the wealth of the Asian nation has blown everything out of the water.
Modric “fulfilled” at Real Madrid
As such, Luka Modric has been repeatedly linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, given the fact that his playing time at Real Madrid is set to drop significantly as a result of the high number of players occupying the same role in the squad. But the player has moved to pour cold water on any rumours in an interview with Croatian media outlet Sportske Novosti, saying he is happy where he is and that a deal was quickly sorted to keep him at the club: “Real Madrid expressed their desire to continue together in the spring, I had the same desire. We sat down and quickly agreed. It’s always been like this with my club, for 12 years, it cannot be changed. Our relationship is extraordinary.”
“I’m so happy and fulfilled at Real Madrid, not thinking about other options”, said Modric when asked about a potential bid from Saudi Arabia, “I don’t even need to boost my ego with these stories about big offers. I just want to enjoy every moment in football and Real Madrid... I will work as much as possible to be among the protagonists this season as well. There are a lot of games, competitions, there will be space for everyone.”
Modric “glad” to help Rodrygo and Vinicius
Modric also spoke about his new role in the squad that has seen an overhaul over recent seasons to a younger, fresher core, especially in midfield. “We senior players must help our youngsters to progress and gradually take over”, he said, “in this sense, I’ve been doing it for a long time and I’m glad that these young guys, be it Rodrygo, Vinicius or the new ones want advice and use our experience.”
At the beginning of the season, the Croatian international spoke to Carlo Ancelotti about his role in the squad and accepted that there is now a lot of competition for just a few places in every starting XI: ““The club, Ancelotti and I had clear conversations and agreements. My only condition for staying was to be treated as a competitive player and not to be kept in the squad in the name of past merits. It was my wish that all players can fight for a starting spot.... I just had a conversation with Ancelotti, he wanted to talk to me. We have a very good relationship, there’s no rust there. I’m completely calm, aware that I have to continue working and that we have a lot of competition in the midfield, these young guys are top players.”
What is Luka Modric’s record at Real Madrid?
Modric, 37, has played for Real Madrid since 2012 and has made over 300 appearances for the club. He has won 3 LaLiga titles, 2 Copas del Rey, 4 Spanish Super Cups, 5 Champions Leagues, 4 UEFA Super Cups, 5 Club World Cups, as well as the 2018 Ballon d’Or.
