Real Madrid’s captain, Luka Modric, will join Milan after the Club World Cup, the Serie A club’s manager, Massimiliano Allegri, confirmed on Monday.
The 39-year-old midfielder announced in May that he would be leaving Madrid after the tournament. Madrid face Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals on Wednesday, with the final scheduled for Sunday.
“Modric will arrive in August,” Allegri told reporters in his first press conference as Milan manager. “He is an extraordinary player.”
Modric, the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner, will join a Milan side looking to bounce back from finishing eighth and missing out on European competition. Allegri, who has joined Milan for a second time after replacing the sacked Sérgio Conceição at the end of May, outlined some other key changes to the squad.
The Netherlands midfielder Tijjani Reijnders was sold to Manchester City in June and the France left-back Théo Hernandez could be on his way to the Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal. “While Reijnders and Hernandez won’t be part of the team next season, [the goalkeeper] Mike Maignan and [the forward] Rafael Leão seem willing to stay,” Allegri said.
Allegri, who guided Milan to a Serie A title in the 2010-11 season, last managed Juventus.
