Real Madrid News
Real Madrid veteran rejects two-year deal worth €60 million from Saudi Arabia – report
According to journalist Tomas Gonzalez-Martin, Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric has turned down a lucrative two-year contract offer worth €60 million from Saudi Arabia. The veteran footballer remains firm on his stance to continue at the club for one more year.
Modric is one among several Real Madrid stars whose contracts expire in the summer. The 37-year-old’s future has thus become a topic of much debate, especially with Real Madrid being linked with a move for Jude Bellingham and the possible return of Brahim Diaz from loan.
It has led to links with a move away to Saudi Arabia, where there are teams wanting to sign him. As per the report, the Croatian international even had a two-year contract offer worth €30 million net per season to move to the Middle East.
However, Modric has decided to turn it down as his heart is set on continuing at Real Madrid for one more season.
At 37, the former Tottenham Hotspur man is entering the final phase of his career. Yet, he continues to be one of the most influential footballers on the pitch for Real Madrid. Indeed, the Croatian remains a key part of Carlo Ancelotti’s setup at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The report states that Real Madrid were told about the offer from Saudi Arabia by one of Modric’s agents, which made the club think that the midfielder was considering an exit. This led to the delay over an offer from the Merengues.
After that point, Modric himself is said to have come forward and made his intentions of staying on as a Madridista very clear.
The report further adds that Real Madrid have not sent a contract offer to other stars, including Karim Benzema, as they are focused on the crucial phase of the ongoing season. Talks over renewals will be tabled for a later date.
Modric, for his part, is understood to have made it clear that he wants to remain at Real Madrid. The club are also likely to want to keep hold of the legendary midfielder. All signs point towards a one-year extension for the Croatian international.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Saudi Arabia has triggered a wave of massive establishment within the country so much so that the league has approached players like Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Sergio Ramos and even Karim Benzema.
Benzema’s departure from Real Madrid is imminent and if a report from Diaro AS is to be believed, the Frenchman contacted his former Madrid teammate, Ronaldo, to ask him for information about the Saudi league, living conditions and other teams.
All this because it is said that the legendary Frenchman has received a lucrative offer from the newly crowned Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad. As reported before, the star striker will earn more than €100 million per year across his two-year contract with the Saudi team.
At the moment, the Saudi government has approved all of Benzema’s requests and while it is said that he can join the team of his choice, Al Ittihad’s recent flirting had made them absolute favourites.
That said, the transfer may have taken a u-turn recently, as Benzema spoke about staying at Real Madrid for the foreseeable future.
“Speak to the fans? Speak about what? Why should I speak of the future if I’m in Madrid?”, Benzema said.
“It’s the internet speaking, and reality is not the internet.”
In a recent turn of events, Helder Costa openly spoke about Benzema’s arrival, saying that his team is ‘excited about the arrival of the Balon d’Or winner.’ As if that is not enough, a club fan also showed a Karim Benzema edit on the big screen during their title celebrations.
Meanwhile, since the transfer is not confirmed, Real Madrid continue to be uninformed of Benzema’s decision. And this remains a major problem for the team from the capital city as their summer transfer plan hinges on the continuity of the Frenchman.
At the moment, the team is said to be closing in on the signing of Joselu from Espanyol. However, it must be noted that the forward will only be arriving on a season-long loan as Madrid already have big plans for the summer of 2024, with Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe both lined up.
