Real Madrid have confirmed that Luka Modric has signed a new one-year contract with the club.
The 37-year-old was originally due to become a free agent at the end of June and was thought to have received mammoth proposals from teams in Saudi Arabia.
At one stage, it was reported that Modric was considering an exit from the Spanish capital to join the Saudi Pro League, with Jude Bellingham’s arrival increasing competition for places in Carlo Ancelotti’s engine room.
However, Real have now confirmed that the former Tottenham Hotspur man has snubbed interest from the Middle East to pen a one-year extension at the Bernabeu.
Modric’s new deal will keep him with Los Blancos until just before his 39th birthday, prolonging his successful stay with Real Madrid since his £30m move from Tottenham Hotspur in 2012.
Since touching down in the Spanish capital, Modric has registered 37 goals and 77 assists in 488 matches for Real Madrid and has remained an integral cog for Ancelotti in the twilight of his career.
The Croatia international contributed another six goals and six assists from 52 appearances last season, making 19 starts in La Liga and a further nine in the Champions League.
Modric also wore the captain’s armband on six occasions and won the UEFA Super Cup and Copa del Rey with Los Blancos, although he was only a substitute in the final of the latter.
Modric’s pair of trophies last term increased his silverware tally to 23 since arriving in Madrid, which also includes five Champions Leagues, five Club World Cups, three La Liga titles and four Supercopa de Espana crowns.
Winner of the Ballon d’Or and Best FIFA Men’s Player award in 2018, Modric is only the eighth Real Madrid player to have been awarded the former, while only Cristiano Ronaldo has also won the latter prize while on the books with Los Blancos.
Modric’s extension comes after Real Madrid also tied his regular midfield partner Toni Kroos down to a new one-year extension, as the duo prepare to compete with new signing Bellingham for midfield minutes.
Dani Ceballos has committed the next four years of his career to Real Madrid too, while Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga are also vying for starts under Ancelotti.
However, Tchouameni has reportedly been the subject of a £47m bid from Liverpool in the wake of his mixed debut season, having turned down the Reds to join Los Blancos last summer.
Liverpool’s opening proposal is expected to be rejected by Real, but president Florentino Perez would supposedly entertain bids closer to the €80m (£68.6m) mark.
