Modric, 40, signs new AC Milan deal

What the report says

Nile Post, carrying a BBC Sport report, says AC Milan midfielder Luka Modric has agreed a one-year contract extension with the Serie A club. The Croatia international, described in the report as 40 and due to turn 41 in September, had joined Milan the previous summer after leaving Real Madrid on an initial one-year arrangement that included an option to extend.

According to the report, Modric made 37 appearances and scored twice in his first Milan season. The club finished fifth in Serie A and exited the Coppa Italia at the last-16 stage, a campaign Modric characterised as falling short of expectations while expressing his intention to help the team respond in the new season. Milan’s statement credited him with bringing experience and quality to the midfield and said he would continue with the ambition of reaching further milestones.

The extension keeps one of European football’s most decorated active players at San Siro. Modric spent 13 years at Real Madrid, where he won six Champions League titles and four La Liga titles, and earlier played four seasons for Tottenham Hotspur, making 160 appearances. He also won the 2018 Ballon d’Or.

The report adds that Modric recently played in his fifth World Cup with Croatia, who were eliminated by Portugal in the last 32. Since he became Croatia captain in 2016, the national side had previously reached a World Cup final and finished third. At Milan, he is set to work under Ruben Amorim, who the report says replaced Massimiliano Allegri in June.