Real Madrid News
Real Madid captain set to complete Serie A move; medicals next week
With Luka Modric set to depart Real Madrid this summer, once the FIFA Club World Cup is over, his next destination appears to be locked in.
Over the past couple of days, AC Milan have accelerated efforts to secure the 39-year-old Los Blancos captain’s signing and are now on the verge of sealing the deal.
On Tuesday night, reports emerged that Modric had said ‘yes’ to the Rossoneri on a one-year contract offer.
Deal done, medicals scheduled
Building on that, journalist Daniele Longo now reports that Luka Modric has agreed to join AC Milan, with the deal finalised following a decisive visit to Croatia by the club’s sporting director, Igli Tare.
The Croatian international is expected to arrive in Milan between Monday and Tuesday for his medical examinations, ahead of signing a one-year contract with an option for a second season. The deal is worth €4 million, including bonuses.
Igli Tare the key
The report states that the success of the Modric deal is entirely credited to Tare. The Albanian director presented his plan to Milan CEO Giorgio Furlani at the beginning of the week and executed it within days.
He first gauged the player’s interest through his agents before approaching Modric directly. Tare travelled to Croatia, held talks with the player, and returned with his commitment – won over by the director’s enthusiasm and the vision of the club’s project.
Modric is not being brought in as a replacement for Tijjani Reijnders, but as an experienced addition with quality and leadership – traits that Milan consider vital as they aim to rebuild following a disappointing season.
Modric will now lead Real Madrid at the FIFA Club World Cup in the USA next month before securing his move to Italy.
After a month into the new season, Aurelien Tchouameni is finally back in action for Real Madrid.
The Frenchman made his first appearance of the season for the Merengues last night against Inter Milan after recovering from the muscular injury that delayed his campaign.
His return to fitness had raised questions over where he would fit into Mourinho’s plans.
Tchouameni has been a regular in Real Madrid’s midfield for several seasons under different managers, but the end of last season was far less straightforward.
His confrontation with Federico Valverde, combined with speculation over his future at the club, created uncertainty about his position. His lack of a proper pre-season also appeared to put him behind other midfield options.
Bernardo Silva had established himself as an important figure, while Eduardo Camavinga was also ahead of Tchouameni in terms of match fitness.
With Real Madrid looking for greater creativity in midfield, there were questions over whether the Frenchman would still be a first-choice player.
Key for Mourinho
According to AS (h/t Bernabeu Digital), however, Mourinho has no such doubts. Tchouameni remains a key player for the Portuguese coach and is expected to be a starter.
Mourinho sees the French international as a midfielder without a direct replacement in the squad.
For Jose, Tchouameni provides something that none of the other midfielders in the squad do – a more defensive and positional presence, combining his tactical discipline with considerable physical strength.
His ability to shield the defence and provide balance could be particularly important for a Real Madrid side that want to defend aggressively and attack quickly in transition.
For that reason, his absence at the start of the campaign has not changed the manager’s view of his importance.
Mourinho faces a midfield selection problem
The challenge for Mourinho now is finding a way to fit all the pieces together.
If Tchouameni is guaranteed a starting position and Valverde is considered untouchable as captain, the obvious consequence is that Bernardo could find himself starting from the bench.
The summer arrival had been given an important role in helping Real Madrid control and distribute possession from deeper positions.
However, with Tchouameni and Valverde both occupying midfield places, Mourinho cannot accommodate everyone in the same lineup.
How the Portuguese coach manages that competition will be interesting to see in the coming weeks.
