Real Madrid News
Real Madrid midfielder unlikely to renew his contract with the club – report
Luka Modric is one of seven Real Madrid players that have their contracts expiring at the end of the season.
The Croatian international has been serving Real Madrid for over a decade now and has featured in 459 matches for the club. But at the age of 37, there are doubts about whether he would like to continue at Santiago Bernabeu.
According to Jose Manuel Moreno, Modric will not renew his contract at Real Madrid this year and will cease to become a Real Madrid player after the end of the season.
This comes as a real shocker for Los Blancos, who have been relying heavily on the services of Modric for over a decade now. Even at 37, the Croatian plays a major role in Carlo Ancelotti’s midfield unit, particularly due to his experience and ability to perform at the highest level.
Modric recently led the Croatian team to a third-place finish in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Following his exploits in Qatar, there were suggestions that the midfielder will continue at Real Madrid for one more season by extending his contract at the Bernabeu.
But it appears the veteran midfielder is reconsidering his decision and may quit after spending 11 years in the Spanish capital. During his time at the club, Modric has bagged five Champions League titles and three La Liga titles. He even won the prestigious Ballon d’Or in 2018.
But if the 37-year-old opts to move on from Real Madrid at the end of the season, it will leave Ancelotti with a dearth of options in midfield, especially with Toni Kroos also looking at the possibility of an early retirement.
Real Madrid have been linked with moves for young midfielders such as Jude Bellingham in order to alleviate the potential loss of experienced stars like Modric and Kroos. But funding a move for the Englishman could be a challenge, especially with Borussia Dortmund holding out for a fee of €150 million.
Arda Guler’s Real Madrid stint has not gotten off to the start he would have hoped to have given the expectation that preceded the transfer.
Having joined in the summer after Real Madrid outbid their competition to win him over from Fenerbahce for a 20-million-euro fee, buzz was high as the winger was expected to slot into the team quite seamlessly, albeit on a rotational basis.
Unfortunately for the 18-year-old, he has been constantly marred by injuries since completing the move.
Reports have stated that after Guler picked up his third injury since his move, Real Madrid have been concerned and want to take things slow with the player to ensure he is fit as soon as possible after an injury to his quadriceps this time.
The Turk is yet to make his competitive debut for the club, and Real Madrid even sacked their medical chief in November, in light of their injury crises since the beginning of the season.
No loan deal for Guler
However, according to Fabrizio Romano in a recent YouTube video, he states that Madrid maintain full trust and patience in the youngster.
Despite his bad luck with injuries, the latest of which he is scheduled to return from after Christmas, the Galacticos have no intention of loaning out Guler to Turkish clubs despite lots of speculation of them doing so of late.
Romano states that Madrid remain firm on not shaking things up too much with the squad, and they want to keep their roster stable, including Arda Guler.
They want to extend their full support and protection to the player as he aims to return to full fitness and finally make his bow for Madrid either by the end of this month or in 2024.
