Real Madrid are reportedly keeping tabs on Croatia’s Lovro Majer as a long-term replacement for Luka Modric. The Croatian great, now 37, is in the final year of his contract with Los Blancos.
According to reports in Spanish publication Fichajes, Real Madrid are tracking Majer’s position in Ligue 1 side Rennes and could make a summer move for him next year.
The midfielder, also a Croatia international, joined Rennes in a €12 million move from Dinamo Zagreb in the 2021 summer window. He has since made 55 appearances for them across competitions, scoring eight and assisting 12 goals.
Majer prefers playing in an attacking midfield role but is adept at taking up the central midfield position as well. This has interested the Real Madrid hierarchy, who are eagerly looking for long-term replacements for Modric.
Having joined in 2012 from Tottenham Hotspur, Modric has spent over 10 seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu, totaling 454 appearances for them across competitions. He has scored 36 and assisted 74 goals for them and also won the Ballon d’Or in 2018.
On top of his personal achievements, he has helped the club win five Champions League titles and three La Liga trophies.
Real Madrid great Luka Modric headlines Croatia’s World Cup squad; Lovro Majer also part of the team
After making the final of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Croatia will hope to replicate that performance in Qatar this year.
They have been clubbed alongside Belgium, Canada, and Morocco in Group F of the competition. Here’s their full 26-man squad:
Goalkeepers: Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Ivica Ivusic (Osijek), Ivo Grbic (Atletico Madrid)
Defenders: Borna Barisic (Rangers), Domagoj Vida (AEK Athens), Dejan Lovren (Zenit), Josip Juranovic (Celtic), Josko Gvardiol (RB Liepzig), Borna Sosa (VfB Sttutgart), Josip Stanisic (Bayern Munich), Martin Erlic (Sassulo), Josip Sutalo (Dinamo Zagreb)
Midfielders: Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea), Marcelo Brozovic (Inter Milan), Mario Pasalic (Atalanta), Nikola Vlasic (Torino), Lovro Majer (Rennes), Kristijan Jakic (Eintracht Frankfurt), Luka Sucic (RB Salzburg)
Forwards: Ivan Perisic (Tottenham Hotspur), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenhiem), Bruno Petkovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Ante Budimir (Osasuna), Marko Livaja (Hadjuk Split).
They start their World Cup campaign on Wednesday, November 23, against Morocco.