REAL MADRID
How much did Modric turn down from Saudi Arabia to stay with Madrid?
Croatian maestro Luka Modric renews for a further season with Real Madrid after rejecting a big money offer from Saudi Arabia.
Luka Modric will play at the Santiago Bernabeu for the 2023/24 campaign as he agrees a 12 month contract extension with Real Madrid. This will represent his twelfth season in the Madrid shirt following his his move from Tottenham in 2012 as part of a 30 million euro move.
The Croatian is now set to become the second oldest player to play for ‘Los Blancos’ and Modric will leapfrog Paco Buyo (38 years and 63 days) who currently holds that honour in November. Hungarian legend Ferenc Puskás holds the overall record playing for the club at the age of 39 years and 36 days and to beat that record Modric would need to seal an additional renewal.
Seven midfielders
Next season, head coach Carlo Ancelotti will be spoiled for choice in the centre of the park with seven midfielders in: Camavinga, Tchouameni, Bellingham, Modric, Kroos, Valverde and Ceballos. At present, it remains to be seen if the Italian coach will employ a 4-3-3 or a 4-3-1-2 formation but what is certain is that Bellingham has been brought to the Bernabeu as a natural replacement. This season, without a World Cup, Modric aims to be physically fresher (he himself acknowledged that Qatar took its toll on him last season) and he is going to battle for a place in the starting line-up.
The player from Zadar has played 488 official matches for the club and has bagged five Champions Leagues, three Leagues, two Copas del Rey, five Club World Cups, four European Super Cups and four Spanish Super Cups in that time along with the 2018 Ballon d’Or. Modric reportedly turned down a big money deal from the Saudi Arabia Pro League to stay with the Spanish giants after Al Hilal offered him €200 million to play in the Saudi League for three seasons.