Modric Accepts Pay Cut for One-Year Milan Adventure

Luka Modric is leaving Real Madrid behind to become the creative heartbeat of AC Milan, and the Croatian icon is willing to slash his wage packet to make the move happen. Sources in Italy suggest the 38-year-old will earn around €4 million net for the 2024-25 campaign—almost 50 percent less than the €7.5 million he collected in his final season at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Luka Modric trade-offs: legacy, salary and fresh motivation

After 12 trophy-laden years in Spain, Luka Modric decided that a change of scenery was essential to prolong both his club and international careers. The midfielder captained Croatia to back-to-back World Cup semi-finals in 2018 and 2022, and insiders reveal he wants regular top-level minutes to stay sharp for a potential farewell tournament at the 2026 World Cup in North America. The lowered salary reflects Milan’s strict wage structure but also Modric’s desire for a sporting project that values his leadership more than his bank balance.

Why AC Milan moved quickly for Luka Modric

Technical director Geoffrey Moncada and CEO Giorgio Furlani have been clear: Milan need a proven winner in the dressing room. Modric’s arrival ticks every box. He brings five Champions League medals, three LaLiga titles and a Ballon d’Or to a squad brimming with promising talents such as Rafael Leão, Tijjani Reijnders and Yunus Musah. The hope is that Modric’s metronomic passing will unlock stubborn Serie A defences and accelerate the Rossoneri’s push to wrestle the Scudetto back from city rivals Inter.

The financial framework of the deal

• Contract: One year with an option for a second, triggered by appearance clauses.
• Net salary: €4 million, plus performance bonuses worth up to €1 million.
• Image rights: Shared 50-50 between club and player, unusual for Milan but key for Modric.

Even at a reduced rate, Modric will become one of the club’s top earners—though still behind marquee forward Leão. Milan’s executives believe the deal is sustainable because Modric’s arrival will spike merchandising and global viewership, especially in the lucrative Balkan market.

What Real Madrid lose—and keep—without Luka Modric

Carlo Ancelotti wanted the veteran to stay, but the Spanish giants could not match the guarantee of consistent starts. Madrid are ushering in a new midfield era with Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouaméni. They waive a customary loyalty bonus to facilitate Modric’s free exit, a gesture that underlines the mutual respect between club and legend.

How Modric fits Stefano Pioli’s successor

With Milan poised to appoint Portuguese tactician Paulo Fonseca, Modric becomes the natural pivot in a 4-2-3-1. His job will be twofold: dictate tempo and mentor 22-year-old Reijnders. Training-ground observers already imagine the Croatian spraying diagonal passes to Leão and Christian Pulisic, while also feeding Olivier Giroud or his eventual No. 9 successor.

The Serie A challenge at 38

Sceptics argue the Rossoneri are signing Modric two seasons too late, pointing to the league’s tactical intensity. However, sports science staff at Milanello believe his impeccable conditioning—he ended the 2023-24 season with 45 competitive outings—gives him an edge over younger peers. Modric’s famed pre-season regimen of mountain biking and core stability will be integrated into the squad’s programme.

Reactions from Croatia and beyond

National-team coach Zlatko Dalić welcomed the move, telling local radio, “Regular football in Italy will keep Luka Modric razor-sharp for our Nations League and World Cup qualifiers.” Croatian media also note the symbolic dimension: Milan has a proud Balkan heritage, from Zvonimir Boban to Dejan Savićević, and Modric is seen as the next chapter.

Spanish outlets, meanwhile, frame the transfer as the emotional end of Madrid’s second Galáctico era. Fans have organised a farewell mosaic for the final home game, and club president Florentino Pérez is expected to present Modric with a commemorative plaque.

Marketing coup for the Rossoneri

Within hours of the news breaking, Milan’s online store recorded a 300 percent uptick in pre-orders for shirts bearing “Modric 10.” Sponsorship experts predict a surge in streaming subscriptions across Southeast Europe, underscoring why the relatively modest salary still makes strong financial sense.

What comes next

Luka Modric will undergo medical tests at the club’s La Madonnina clinic in early July before joining Milan’s United States tour, where he could face former rivals Barcelona and new Premier League contenders Arsenal. He is expected to make his Serie A debut in late August at San Siro.

The bigger picture

For Modric, this is less about money and more about writing a new chapter in a storied career. For Milan, it is the chance to blend a seasoned maestro with a youthful core, revitalise their midfield and reignite domestic dominance. If the partnership clicks, both sides could extend the agreement, but for now the mission is simple: deliver silverware and prepare Modric for one last Croatian odyssey.

Opinion: Perfect timing or sentimental gamble?

Signing Luka Modric at 38 is bold. Yet Milan need his mentality as much as his technique. If managed wisely, his reduced wage looks like a bargain; if overplayed, age could show. The risk-reward balance feels worth it for a club desperate to bridge the gap to Europe’s elite.