The Spanish club Real Madrid, European champions, extended the contract of their veteran playmaker, Croatian Luka Modric, until June 2023, on Wednesday. The club had renewed Modric's contract (36 years old) for one season in the summer of 2021, but his remarkable performances last season and his effective contribution to his team's victories in the domestic league and the Champions League led the club to extend his contract again for another year. The royal club announced on its official website, "Real Madrid and Luka Modric have reached an agreement to extend the player's contract until June 23."
As part of strengthening their squad for the upcoming season, Real Madrid confirmed the acquisition of German defender Antonio Rudiger on a free transfer after the latter's contract with Chelsea expired, while it is likely that the official announcement regarding the signing of French midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni will come in the upcoming days.
Modric, who led his national team to a second-place finish in the last World Cup in Russia in 2018, played 45 matches last season and scored three goals. The club's Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, stated in April, "Modric will end his career with Real Madrid... I don’t know when, but that’s the opinion of everyone... There is no problem for the club or management to extend his contract."
Modric, who won the Ballon d'Or in 2018, joined the royal team in 2012 from Tottenham Hotspur for 35 million euros and has played 436 matches for Real, just two games fewer than the team's former star, Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo.
