Luka Modric has agreed a one-year contract extension with AC Milan, with the official announcement expected on Thursday, as the 40-year-old Croatian prepares to enter his third season at San Siro.
The former Real Madrid star, who turns 41 in September, will join his teammates in Perth, Australia next Wednesday after extending his stay with the Rossoneri. Modric, a six-time Champions League winner and Ballon d'Or recipient, made it clear he is not ready to retire despite approaching his 41st birthday.
According to [La Gazzetta dello Sport](https://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Serie-A/Milan/22-07-2026/milan-il-rinnovo-di-modric-non-cambia-il-futuro-di-jashari-amorim-ha-un-piano-per-lui.shtml), Modric's renewal does not alter the club's plans for Swiss midfielder Ardon Jashari, whom Milan signed from Club Bruges last summer for €34 million plus €3 million in bonuses. Jashari endured a difficult debut season, limited by a serious fibula injury in training that sidelined him for nearly three months, leaving him with just nine Serie A starts.
Milan head coach Ruben Amorim has devised a plan to integrate both players, with the Rossoneri competing in Serie A, the Europa League and the Coppa Italia this season. With matches on Sundays and Thursdays, Modric — who started virtually every game in 2025-26 — will need to manage his minutes. Jashari is expected to feature prominently in the Europa League group stage.
Modric will bid farewell to the Croatia national team on October 6 in Split before focusing exclusively on Milan. He has made winning a trophy his final objective, inspired by club owner Gerry Cardinale and Amorim's stated ambition to challenge for the Scudetto and the club's second star.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, now an advisor to Cardinale, along with technical director Geoffrey Moncada, were instrumental in pushing for Jashari's signing and remain convinced of his potential. Amorim believes the 3-4-2-1 system suits the Swiss international's profile as a box-to-box midfielder combining playmaking ability with ball recovery.
With midfield options including Adrien Rabiot, Youssouf Fofana and Ruben Loftus-Cheek providing physical presence, Amorim is unlikely to deploy Modric and Jashari together frequently. Instead, the division is clear: Modric leads in Serie A, Jashari takes the Europa League, at least in the group phase.
"A quality 30 appearances out of 50-60 is better than playing poorly when fatigued," Modric's camp reportedly believes. The six-time Champions League winner wants nothing less than to lift a trophy in what may be his final season.
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