"Hopefully he will listen to me carefully" - Ex-Barcelona star Ivan Rakitic sends message to Real Madrid's Florentino Perez over key player's contract
Former Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic has sent a message to Real Madrid president Florentino Perez over Luka Modric's contract renewal, as per Marca. Recent reports suggest that the club is hesitant to offer Modric a new contract after his current one comes to an end on June 30.
The Croat midfield maestro left Tottenham Hotspur to join Madrid in the summer of 2012 for a reported €35 million and has become a stalwart for Los Blancos. He has played in 563 matches for them across all competitions so far, finding the back of the net on 41 occasions. Modric has also provided 90 assists for Madrid.
In the ongoing season, the 39-year-old's performances have been a tad muted, with him starting just seven out of the 19 LaLiga matches he has featured in. Modric has scored two goals and provided four assists in 28 matches across all competitions.
His compatriot Rakitic has asked Perez to renew Modric's contract immediately.
"Hopefully, Florentino Pérez will listen to me very carefully... Florentino, renew him already! Renew him not only for the Madridistas but for all of us who love football. Luka is one of the few who's loved by everyone, the Croats, the Spaniards, the Germans, the Turks..." said Rakitic (via Madrid Universal).
"[If he leaves] Real Madrid will miss him, LaLiga will miss him. He has to keep playing in the Champions League and I hope he'll play the World Cup next year. The age doesn't matter. I hope we will continue to enjoy him," he added.
Luka Modric's performance in the second half of the season will decide his future at Real Madrid
Rakitic, who has played alongside Modric for Croatia, was one of the biggest pillars in the Barcelona midfield for six years from 2014 to 2020. In 2020, he decided to move back to Sevilla, from where he had arrived in Barcelona. Soon afterwards, he moved to Al-Shabab FC in the Saudi Pro League.
Currently, Rakitic plies his trade for Croatian club Hajduk Split, where he moved on a free transfer from Al-Shabab. His plea towards Perez for renewing Modric's contract stems from a deep sense of respect and reverence he has for the midfielder.
Real Madrid have been strongly challenged by both Barcelona and city rivals Atletico Madrid in LaLiga this season, with the latter currently sitting on top. Madrid, who are second with 43 points, were most recently beaten by Barcelona 2-5 in the Super Cup final.
Modric's contributions in the second half of the season will go a long way in deciding his future at Real Madrid.
