Amid intensifying speculation over Cristiano Ronaldo’s future and a possible move to Juventus, Luka Modric has revealed he expects him to stay at Real Madrid.
The Portuguese superstar has been heavily linked with an £88m move to join the Turin giants, as noted by Sky Sports, with talks said to be ongoing over what would undoubtedly be the transfer of the summer.
Despite all his success in the nine years that he has spent at the Bernabeu which has brought him two La Liga titles, four Champions League trophies and countless individual accolades, it appears as though there could be a break and a fresh challenge awaiting the 33-year-old next season.
Juventus would offer him a chance to continue to win major honours given their domestic dominance in Italy, while the Bianconeri will surely believe that bringing in a player like Ronaldo with his pedigree and winning record in Europe will help them take that final step to glory in the Champions League too.
However, Modric doesn’t see it happening as he believes that his long-time teammate will remain with him in the Spanish capital beyond the summer.
“Let’s see what happens. I don’t think he’s going to leave, and I’d like him to stay because he’s the best player in the world,” Modric is quoted as saying by AS.
“I think he’s going to stay; that’s my opinion. It would be great if he did, because I can’t imagine him at any other club.”
It remains to be seen whether or not his prediction comes true, but should Ronaldo seal an exit, it could lead to an interesting summer at Real Madrid with Julen Lopetegui stepping in to replace Zinedine Zidane with the task of sustaining their incredible success in recent years.
As hinted at by Modric, losing their talismanic forward would certainly hinder their hopes of continuing their impressive trophy haul in the more immediate future and so it’s no surprise that the midfield maestro hopes that he remains.