The 39-year-old legend is here! Modric officially signs with Milan, and his goal rate returns to the top

AC Milan Club officially announced that Croatian midfielder Luca Modric officially joined the team, and the two sides signed a one-year contract with the option of renewal. On his debut, Modric expressed his excitement to start a "new chapter" of his career and pointed his goal to lead the Ross and Black Army to the top of Italy.

Modric bid farewell to the Bernabeu who had played for 13 years as a free agent after being eliminated from the club's World Cup last week with Real Madrid. During his time at Real Madrid, he played for the team in a total of 597 games and won an astonishing 28 championship trophys with the team, including 5 Champions League titles, making him the player with the most championships in Real Madrid's history. The 2018 Golden Globe winner is second only to Benzema (515 games) who joined the Real Madrid team in the same period.

Modric's next home is already coming out. Allegri, who has returned to the Milan coaching position, previously revealed to the media that the midfield core is expected to join in the form of a free transfer before August. After the official signing, Modric called out to the fans, vowing to let San Siro regain his glory.

"I am very happy to join a great club like AC Milan to start a new chapter in my career. I can't wait to meet you all in San Siro," Modric told fans via Instagram. "We hope this year will make you happy, bring you wonderful moments, make you proud of us, and celebrate the victory together. Hug everyone!"

Modric's joining is at the trough of Milan. The Ross and Blacks experienced a disastrous last season (2024-25), ranking 8th in Serie A only. The team's coaching position has changed frequently, and Paul Fonseca was dismissed after only half a year of coaching. Although his successor Concesan led the team to the Italian Super Cup in January, his term lasted only five months and one day.

Due to the poor record last season, AC Milan will miss the European competition in the 2025-26 season. This is the first time the team has missed European competition since it was banned from participating in the UEFA Cup due to the Fiscal Fairness Act in the 2019-20 season. From this century to the present, this is only Milan's fourth time missing out on the European Championship (previously in the 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2019-20 seasons).