Croatia icon Luka Modric is one of the best midfielders in the history of the game. Since his transfer from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2012, Modric has been a mainstay at Real Madrid, and deservedly so. Leading from the front, he has helped Los Blancos clinch crucial victories against tricky opponents, as recently as last season.
Luka Modric Has Fallen Down The Pecking Order At Real Madrid
Over the summer, Modric signed a one-year contract extension with Real Madrid. According to Spanish outlet Cadena SER (via Football-Espana), the central midfielder was promised a role similar to last season. Almost two months into the 2023-24 season, and Madrid are nowhere close to fulfilling their alleged promise.
Modric has featured in six of Madrid’s eight La Liga games this season, with him starting just two of them. The Croatia skipper, who spent the last two La Liga games on the bench, has played just 206 minutes of football in the Spanish top flight so far. He is firmly behind Jude Bellingham, Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, Fede Valverde, and Toni Kroos. Only Dani Ceballos, who recently returned to the fold after recovering from an injury, has played fewer minutes than the Croat.
Los Blancos Not Happy With Modric’s Fitness
According to Cadena SER’s report, Modric’s lack of first-team minutes is purely down to his playing ability. It has been claimed the club believes that the 38-year-old has dropped off greatly in the physical department over the last three months. They have also claimed that Modric is not being able to hit the heights of last season.
Since Modric has started only three of Madrid’s nine matches this season, across competitions, it is not likely he is too tired to perform for the All-Whites. So, if Madrid’s assessment is true and the maestro is indeed struggling to play as well as he did last season, it could be the end of the Croat’s chapter in the Spanish capital. Given how stiff the competition is in the midfield area, Los Merengues are unlikely to keep an underperforming player around just because of his popularity and legacy.
The 2018 Ballon d’Or winner has played 495 games for the 14-time European champions in all competitions, scoring 37 goals and claiming 77 assists. He has won five UEFA Champions League trophies and three La Liga titles with the club, amongst other honors.
