Approaching the 2024/25 season, Real Madrid are expected to gain some incredible names heading.
However, alongside this territory comes a more unfortunate fate and it involves letting go of some players. Understandably, fans do not want to think about losing some key players but is the nature of football to operate on an unwritten "one in, one out" rule.
For Carlo Ancelotti, he has more to ponder in the way of players nearing the end of their contracts. At this stage, there are six Real Madrid players with contracts expiring in 2024 - Luka Modric being a prominent figure in that list. The Croatian international is undoubtedly a club legend but will he stay or will he go?
It was originally believed that Modric would leave the club, after reportedly turning down an offer to stay from Carlo Ancelotti.
However, according to a report from Sport, Luka Modric has indicated that he would like to stay at Real Madrid for an additional year beyond his current contract. This is not unlike Real Madrid, as they have a tradition of offering their club legends a chance to play for a further year.
Whether or not Carlo Ancelotti deems it necessary to keep Luka Modric remains to be seen but fans would certainly approve of the decision to keep him. After all, despite not playing as much this season, Modric has become an invaluable squad player who helps out excellently during times of need.
Modric has made 14 La Liga starts this season and he has come off the bench in an additional 13 matches. So, he is in and out of the starting lineup but at this stage of his career, that was to be expected. Still, Modric has contributed to scoring two goals and providing four assists from the midfield (WhoScored), which is a respectable tally, all things considered.
In the summer, Real Madrid have plans to bring in some world-class names, as mentioned. Perhaps the summer addition which could affect Luka Modric the most is Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz. The Real Champs reported recently that Wirtz was a player of interest to Real Madrid and unfortunately for Modric, the youngster would make the starting lineup ahead of the veteran.
Still, if Modric is happy to continue playing his rotational role next season, Real Madrid should take up the opportunity. After all, experience like Modric's is almost impossible to come by.