Croatia’s midfield maestro Luka Modric has officially signed with AC Milan on a one-year deal, with an option to extend until June 2027.
The 39-year-old joins the Serie A giants after an illustrious 13-year spell at Real Madrid.
The move was confirmed on Monday by AC Milan, who revealed Modric will wear the number 14 shirt — a nod to Dutch legend Johan Cruyff. The deal had earlier been hinted at by Milan’s newly appointed manager, Massimiliano Allegri.
“Very happy to be here to start a new chapter in my career,” Modric said in an Instagram video posted by the club.
Speaking on his choice of shirt number, the Ballon d’Or winner once said: “It’s an immense honour for them to compare me to (Cruyff)… I wore the no. 14 at Tottenham in honour of him, and because the no. 10 wasn’t available.”
Modric, widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders in football history, played 597 games for Real Madrid, winning 28 trophies, including six UEFA Champions League titles and four LaLiga crowns.
His final appearance for Los Blancos came in a 4–0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain during the semi-finals of the Club World Cup. He came off the bench in the second half.
“It’s a bitter end… he’s a legend of world football and of Real Madrid. He’ll be remembered for many more good things than for the 25 minutes he played today,” Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso remarked after the match.
On the international stage, Modric remains Croatia’s most capped player with 188 appearances and 28 goals. He won the Golden Ball at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, leading Croatia to their first-ever final, and that same year, he clinched the Ballon d’Or — becoming the first player outside the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly to win since 2007.
At Milan, he’ll bolster a midfield lineup that includes Youssouf Fofana, Yunus Musah, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Samuele Ricci also joined the Rossoneri from Torino earlier this month.
Milan, who missed out on European football after finishing eighth in Serie A last season, are set to begin their 2025/26 campaign against newly-promoted Cremonese on August 23.
