Real Madrid News
Real Madrid captain will sign a new contract until 2026 with lower salary
As Real Madrid usher in a new era with Xabi Alonso as the new manager, the club have some tough decisions to make regarding some of the current players in the squad.
As things stand, it appears that Lucas Vazquez will not getting a new contract offer and will move on at the end of the season.
Question marks linger over the futures of stars like David Alaba and Rodrygo Goes as well – players once considered integral part of the squad.
Another major issue that Alonso and the club management have had to address is the future of veteran midfielder and club captain Luka Modric.
Despite being 39 years old, the Real Madrid icon is one of the most heavily used players in the squad this season and his quality has shone through more often than not.
Luka Modric will sign a new contract
As such, Joaquin Maroto of AS now reports that Real Madrid will renew Modric’s contract to keep him at the club for one more season.
The Croatian international’s current deal runs out on June 30, although there is an agreement for him to play until the FIFA Club World Cup.
However, his aim has been to continue at the Santiago Bernabeu for one more season and then play the FIFA World Cup with Croatia in 2026 before calling time on his career.
And while there had been a lot of uncertainty over his continuity, it appears that Real Madrid have now made the decision to keep Modric in the squad for one more year.
The 39-year-old club captain is now expected to sign a one-year renewal until 2026, but with a lower salary than what he currently earns.
In fact, a more concrete update on his future is expected as early as next week, with an extension now firmly on the cards.
Real Madrid News
Jose Mourinho was always clear about getting rid of Real Madrid midfielder this summer – report
Real Madrid’s summer transfer window was largely successful, not only in terms of securing key arrivals but also in terms of letting go of players who had no place in the dynamics.
One player who stood out in the second category was Dani Ceballos as the Spanish midfielder was frozen out of Real Madrid’s starting dynamics for several years before his eventual departure.
In the end, the club simply let the player leave as a free agent by accepting a contract termination as they saw the salary space freed as a win compared to his presence.
Mourinho’s clear stance
As confirmed in a recent report by Diario AS, Real Madrid’s new manager Jose Mourinho has no doubt that he did not count on Ceballos for the ongoing season.
Being the straightforward communicator that he is, the Portuguese manager directly informed Ceballos that he did not count on him in any capacity, speaking out loud about a fact that was known as an open secret for a long time.
Having clarity that his situation at the club was not going to change, Ceballos pressed to leave and eventually had his way as the club allowed him to walk out of the front door with no transfer fee.
Times were tense
The Spanish outlet also add that the decision to let the player leave with a contract termination was not easy for Real Madrid to accept, especially given that it is a last resort.
In the negotiations between Ceballos and the Real Madrid hierarchy, there were some moments filled with tension and disagreements.
In fact, there was even an initial exit agreement that was reached which was cancelled in the hope of a better outcome.
Eventually, however, both parties reached a fitting resolution and Real Madrid enabled the player’s departure without any hurdles and Ceballos went on to join Real Betis.
Even that move required the player to take a massive cut on his salary, but the saga worked out well for both clubs as the player. From Real Madrid’s perspective, the space created on the team’s roster was worth its weight in gold.
