Search icon

Football

01st Aug 2018

Luka Modric could follow Cristiano Ronaldo to Italy this summer, reports claim

Simon Lloyd

It seems Cristiano Ronaldo may not be the only high-profile player to leave Real Madrid for Italy this summer

Luka Modric could also be set to depart the Bernabeu, with reports in Italy claiming the Croatian midfielder, the winner of the Golden Ball at this summer’s World Cup, could move to Inter Milan.

Sky Sports Italia reporter Gianluca Di Marzio claims Inter Milan are working on a deal for Modric and that initial contact between the club and the player’s representatives has already been made.

Although the report acknowledges the difficulty in making such a transfer happen, it also points out that Modric’s agents have ‘opened the door to the possibility’.

Inter now have three of Modric’s international teammates on the payroll at the San Siro. Sime Vrsaljko recently completed his move from Atletico Madrid, joining countrymen Ivan Perisic and Marcelo Brozovic. This, it’s claimed, may help persuade him to take on a new challenge in his career having won four Champions League crowns in the last five seasons with Real.

After being encouraged by Modric’s representatives, Inter are said to be holding off on a deal to sign Arturo Vidal from Bayern Munich while they see if a move for the former Tottenham midfielder is actually viable. Should it not prove possible, they will then turn their attention back to Vidal.

Even if Modric is open to the idea of a move to Inter, it’s difficult to see Real sanctioning such a transfer so soon after the departure of Ronaldo. With Julen Lopetegui only replacing Zinedine Zidane this summer, it’s unlikely he’ll want to see too much more upheaval ahead of the new campaign.

The FootballJOE quiz: Were you paying attention? – episode 10