Dinamo has reopened the topic of Luka Modrić's return, but for now the decision remains in the hands of the Croatia captain
Luka Modrić's return to Croatian football has once again become one of the most prominent topics of the transfer period after Italian journalist Pietro Balzano Prota, who follows developments around AC Milan, said on the “Milan Express” show on the Milan Vibes channel that Dinamo Zagreb had once again made contact with the experienced midfielder. According to his claims, the club from Maksimir tried to explore the possibility of Modrić returning to the environment from which he set off toward the biggest European stages. The same information was reported on 22 May 2026 in Croatian media, with the note that no official confirmation has yet been published either by Dinamo or by Modrić's entourage. For that reason, the story can currently be described as a serious transfer rumour, but not as an agreement or a completed operation. The key circumstance remains Modrić's intention, according to available information from Italy, to continue playing at the highest level if AC Milan qualify for the Champions League.
What was reported in Italy
Balzano Prota said on the show that Dinamo contacted Modrić at a time when the final stage of the season is approaching and when options for the next competitive year are being considered in Milan. According to information reported by Index and Net.hr, the Italian journalist added that Modrić's plan is not an immediate return to Zagreb, but to stay at San Siro for another season on the condition that Milan secure qualification for the Champions League. Such wording is important because it distinguishes contact from a concrete agreement: contact may mean checking interest, speaking with the player's representatives or initial communication, while a transfer requires a series of sporting, financial and personal decisions. By 22 May 2026, no official statement from Dinamo had been published confirming negotiations, nor had Modrić publicly announced his departure from Milan. In such circumstances, the story carries great symbolic weight, but its actual outcome depends on the end of the season, Milan's status in Europe and Modrić's assessment of his own role.
Modrić's contract with Milan gives him an open possibility of continuing
According to AC Milan's official announcement of 14 July 2025, Luka Modrić signed a contract with the Italian club until 30 June 2026, with an option to extend until 30 June 2027. It is precisely that option that makes the entire situation more complex than a classic contract expiry, because Milan formally have a framework for continuing the cooperation if both sides decide on such a move. Modrić arrived at Milan after the end of a long period at Real Madrid, and the Madrid club's official announcement from May 2025 confirmed that his playing journey at Real would end after the Club World Cup. The transfer to Milan was therefore not a farewell move, but an attempt to continue his career in one of Europe's strongest leagues. In the context of Dinamo's possible interest, the contractual option with Milan means that a return to Maksimir does not depend only on emotion and history, but also on the Italian club's plans, the sporting project for the new season and Modrić's desire to remain in an elite rhythm.
Milan are in the fight for the Champions League, which could be decisive
According to the Serie A table published on AC Milan's official website on 22 May 2026, Milan had 70 points after 37 rounds and were in third place, level with Roma, while Como and Juventus each had 68 points. The same standings show that Milan, ahead of the final round, have a realistic but not yet mathematically completely unburdened position in the fight to qualify for the Champions League. ESPN's Serie A table states that the first four places lead to the Champions League, which further explains why Milan's European status is emphasised in the Italian information. If the club secure participation in Europe's strongest competition, the argument for Modrić staying will be stronger, especially because he is a player whose career has been marked by matches under the greatest pressure. If the situation becomes complicated in the closing stage of the league, Milan's decision on the squad and Modrić's personal assessment could open up differently. That is why Dinamo's question is currently tied to the outcome of the Italian season, and not only to the wishes of the Zagreb club.
Dinamo are relying on emotion, history and sporting capital
For Dinamo, Modrić's return would have a meaning that goes beyond an ordinary transfer. He is a player who went through a key part of his development at Maksimir, wore the captain's armband and left the Croatian league for Tottenham, and then for Real Madrid, where he built one of the most successful careers in the history of European football. Official Dinamo publications from the club's history regularly highlight his role in the team that marked Croatian football in the mid-2000s and played important European matches, including the victory over Ajax in Amsterdam in 2007. Dinamo's archive also describes his Maksimir farewell in 2008, when he played one of his final matches in front of the home crowd against Rijeka before leaving for Tottenham. Such a context explains why every piece of information about a possible return is perceived as big news, even when there is no official confirmation of negotiations. The return of a player of such status would have a sporting, marketing and identity effect for the club, the league and the wider football environment.
Modrić's career still does not fit into the usual boundaries
Luka Modrić was born on 9 September 1985 in Zadar, and on 22 May 2026 he is 40 years old, but his professional level remains the reason why his future is being discussed in the context of the highest level of European football. According to Transfermarkt data, Modrić's trophy record includes six Champions League titles with Real Madrid, four Spanish league titles, the 2018 Ballon d'Or, the FIFA The Best award for the same year and UEFA's award for the best player in Europe. The Croatian Football Federation lists him in its profile as the captain and record holder of the Croatian national team, while current data from international statistical services ahead of the 2026 World Cup attribute to him approximately 196 appearances for the national side. Such a résumé makes him an exception even on a European scale, because he is a midfielder who has extended the peak of his career far beyond the age at which most players finish competing at the elite level. That is precisely why Dinamo's desire is not unusual, but Modrić's eventual decision cannot be viewed as a typical return of a veteran to his parent club.
Why a return would be a demanding sporting project
Although Modrić's arrival at Dinamo would have a strong emotional impact, the sporting part of such a move would be very sensitive. Dinamo would have to assess how to fit into the team a player who is used to controlling the rhythm of matches at the highest level, but also how, in doing so, to develop younger midfielders and maintain the long-term structure of the squad. On the other hand, Modrić would have to decide whether he wants to replace the daily rhythm of Italy's Serie A and European matches with a different competitive environment, in which expectations would be enormous from the first day. Returning to the club where he established himself would also carry a special emotional responsibility, because every match would be viewed through comparison with his status as a legend. Such transfers are often more complex than they appear from the outside: it is not only the question of whether the transfer can be carried out financially that decides matters, but also the question of role, playing time, physical workload, ambitions in Europe and the player's private plans.
Dinamo would get more than a player, but also the pressure of greater expectations
If Modrić really returned to Maksimir, Dinamo would get a player whose dressing-room experience has almost no comparable value in regional football. His presence could have a direct effect on young players, on the standard of training and on the way the club presents itself in European matches. At the same time, such an arrival would open the question of tactical balance, because the team would have to be built so as to make the most of his qualities, and not merely rely on the symbolism of his name. For a club that regularly has the ambition to play in European competitions, Modrić could be important in matches decided by experience, calmness and decisions under pressure. However, greater public interest would also bring greater pressure on results, because every domestic and European appearance would be interpreted through the question of whether the return of the best Croatian footballer of his generation had brought the expected step forward.
For Milan, the decision is linked to European ambitions
Milan's perspective is also clear: if the club qualify for the Champions League, keeping a player of Modrić's profile can be useful not only on the pitch but also in creating the culture of a winning dressing room. Milan's official profile presents him as a member of the first team and part of the project for the 2025/26 season, and when he arrived the club emphasised a contract that already contained the option of an additional year. In such a framework, the decision on an extension does not have to be solely a question of age, but also a question of the influence the player has on the team, matches and younger teammates. Milan are a club with a great European history, and Modrić is a player whose career is deeply connected with the Champions League, so it is logical that his future is linked to qualification for that competition. If Milan confirm their place among the top four in Serie A, according to available information from Italian media, the chances of him staying in Italy could be greater than the chances of a return to Croatia already this summer.
What is currently confirmed, and what is not
At this moment, it is confirmed that Modrić has a contract with Milan until 30 June 2026 and an option to extend until 2027, because this was announced by the Italian club itself. It is also confirmed that his departure from Real Madrid was officially concluded in 2025, according to the Madrid club's announcement, and that he continued his career at Milan after more than a decade in Spain. According to reports by Index and Net.hr from 22 May 2026, Italian journalist Pietro Balzano Prota stated that Dinamo had contacted Modrić, but this has not yet been confirmed by an official club statement. It has not been officially confirmed that negotiations have been opened, that an offer exists, or that the player has made a decision to return to Zagreb. The most precise assessment therefore is that Dinamo, according to available information, are showing interest and checking the possibility of a major return, while Modrić's priority, according to claims from Italy, remains continuing at the top level if Milan qualify for the Champions League.
The outcome is expected after the end of the season
The story of Modrić and Dinamo will probably remain open until the final matches of the season are concluded and until Milan define their European status for the following year. The finale of Serie A directly affects the sporting and financial plans of the Italian club, and therefore also decisions about experienced players with contractual options. Dinamo, on the other hand, can count on an argument that no other club has: Modrić's personal and professional connection with Maksimir. Still, history alone is not enough for a transfer to happen, especially when it concerns a player who, even at 40, can still choose between different scenarios. Until official confirmations arrive, the story remains open, and its continuation will depend on the player's decision, Milan's plans and Dinamo's readiness to turn a possible return from a great desire into a feasible sporting project.
Sources:
- AC Milan – official announcement on the signing of Luka Modrić, the duration of the contract and the extension option (link)
- AC Milan – official Serie A table for the 2025/26 season and the standings in the closing stage of the championship (link)
- Real Madrid CF – official announcement on the end of Modrić's playing period at Real Madrid after the 2025 Club World Cup (link)
- Croatian Football Federation – Luka Modrić's profile in the Croatian national team (link)
- GNK Dinamo – club archive on Modrić's period at Dinamo and his farewell match before leaving for Tottenham (link)
- GNK Dinamo – club remembrance of the European victory against Ajax in 2007, in which Modrić played an important role (link)
- Index.hr – report from 22 May 2026 on Pietro Balzano Prota's claims that Dinamo contacted Modrić (link)
- Net.hr – report from 22 May 2026 on the same claims from the “Milan Express” show (link)
- ESPN – overview of the Serie A table and the places leading to the Champions League (link)
- Transfermarkt – overview of Luka Modrić's trophies, contractual data and career achievements (link)