ADRIEN RABIOT HAILS LUKA MODRIC AS MILAN’S ULTIMATE DRIVING FORCE
AC Milan's Adrien Rabiot hails teammate Luka Modrić as "a true example for everyone." The 40-year-old Croatian has been instrumental in Milan's strong start, making them early Serie A title contenders after a major midfield overhaul.
Luka Modric's AC Milan midfield teammate Adrien Rabiot has praised him as "an inspiration" and "a true example for everyone." With the Rossoneri emerging as early candidates to win Serie A this season, the Croatian midfielder, who came as a free agent after spending 13 years at Real Madrid, has enjoyed an incredible start to life at the San Siro.
Rabiot and Modric finish Milan's midfield makeover.
Following a terrible 2024–25 season in which Milan finished in ninth place and had two managers change, the team restructured its midfield and brought back Massimiliano Allegri, who had been absent for 11 years. In fact, the Rossoneri signed Madrid great Modric for free in addition to acquiring Ardon Jashari and Samuele Ricci. Following his dispute at Marseille, Rabiot also made a comeback to Serie A.
Even at forty, Modric continues to work his magic at Milan.
One of the best midfielders of all time, Modric stands out from other top players due to his unmatched durability. Being a six-time Champions League champion with Real Madrid, Modric is one of the first names on the squad sheet and appears to be getting along well with his Milan teammates. Modric turned 40 in September. In the first two months of the season, the midfield wizard has been one of Serie A's greatest players. His game-winning efforts have made Allegri's team one of the early favourites to win the Scudetto at the end of the season.
Rabiot talks about what it is like to play alongside Modric.
In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Rabiot lavished Modric with admiration. The former Juventus player stated, "I am not shocked by his passion and professionalism; he would not be at this level at his age. " You cannot take what he does for granted at forty, which is why I am startled. He never stops giving it his all during practices and games. A real model for all.
"He is an inspiration, but it also depends on several factors, including his ailments and body. Modric is undoubtedly very passionate. And the motivation behind everything is passion. After that, he is content to keep playing and working out hard.
Is Milan going to win Serie A this year?
Allegri's team is now two points behind reigning champions Napoli and Roma in third place on the table after 13 points from their first six games. Rabiot is certain that his new team can win this season. "There are a lot of teams, as usual. It is a little unexpected to see Roma so high up," he said.
"Napoli is still the most powerful. The Italian team that has performed the best in Europe thus far is Inter, and they have an edge over us in that they have played together for a long time. We will not necessarily develop the ideal dynamic straight away. Juventus still lacks the chemistry necessary to win the Scudetto; they are not as good as Napoli or Inter. They will compete for a Champions League berth.
We will fight to the very end, and I hope to win the Scudetto again because, because of COVID, we were not able to fully celebrate our victory over Juventus. I want to rejoice with all of the fans in the square this time."
RADJA NAINGGOLAN SLAMS NAPOLI’S SCOTT MCTOMINAY AS "JUST AVERAGE" IN TV RANT
Radja Nainggolan has sparked controversy by calling Napoli's Scudetto winner Scott McTominay "average" in a scathing TV interview.
Scott McTominay’s journey from Manchester United to Napoli has been wild. He’s helped the club win a Scudetto, snagged a Ballon d’Or nomination, and his goal tally is impressive. But not everyone’s sold on him. Even with all those honours, one Serie A legend isn’t convinced. Radja Nainggolan slammed him as just “an average player".
After McTominay’s £26 million jump from Old Trafford in 2024, he took off. He won the Serie A MVP, clinched Napoli’s fourth Scudetto with a spectacular overhead goal against Cagliari, and made a big mark in Italy. Still, Nainggolan, never shy with an opinion, tore into him during a TV interview. Despite McTominay racking up 26 goals in 76 games and getting a Ballon d’Or nod, Nainggolan didn’t hold back. “I don’t like him,” he said on Sky Calcio Unplugged. “He gets his goals, 12, 13, 14 a season, but his general play? He doesn’t have the technique to move between the lines. He’s just average.”
And he wasn’t content to leave it at that. Nainggolan compared himself to today’s names, arguing he was better than both McTominay and Inter’s Hakan Calhanoglu at his best, though he admitted Nicolo Barella sits above him. “At my peak, I was better than McTominay and Calhanoglu, but Barella is on another level,” Nainggolan said. “He doesn’t always score a lot, but when he does, it matters, and you always feel his presence on the pitch. I like De Bruyne, too; he sees things nobody else does. He’s above me, and Modric...he’s always been world-class.”
Of course, Nainggolan’s take doesn’t really jibe with life in Naples. McTominay has become something of a hero there; his face is on murals around the city, the fans have dubbed him ‘McFratm’ (McBrother), and he helped Napoli win the Supercoppa Italiana in December 2025. Even if Inter seems ready to grab the Serie A crown back, McTominay’s reputation hasn’t dipped. His knack for scoring from midfield has been crucial for Conte’s side.
Nainggolan also touched on Belgium’s so-called “Golden Generation” and why they didn’t deliver a major trophy, despite stars like Lukaku, Hazard, and De Bruyne. He knows the team well, having made 30 appearances before retiring after he got left out of the 2018 World Cup squad. “We had Lukaku, Hazard, De Bruyne, and Courtois. Too many superstars, too many egos,” Nainggolan said. “Everyone wanted to be the star, to be the most important guy, and that just doesn’t work.” His take pretty much confirms what fans suspected: there was plenty of talent, but not enough unity.
MANCHESTER UNITED AND CHELSEA ENTER RACE FOR DISCOUNTED €50M-RATED RAFAEL LEãO
Discover why Rafael Leão’s value has plummeted at AC Milan and which Premier League clubs are leading the race to sign him.
Just a year ago, everyone was buzzing about Rafael Leao and his rumoured €120 million move to Chelsea. Fast forward to this summer’s transfer window, and it looks like AC Milan’s ready to let him go for nowhere near that amount. Manchester United, along with a few others, are circling, hoping to get him for much less.
Last week, Gazzetta dello Sport broke the news: Milan now values Leao at just €50 million. That’s a wild drop, especially since six months ago they slapped a €100 million price tag on him.
So what happened? Why did his value tank so quickly?
Perception plays a big part. Leao’s estimated transfer value hasn’t actually changed that much. FootballTransfers’ algorithm had him pegged at €72.5 million last July, and now he’s at €70.7 million. But Milan’s own estimate? That’s fallen off a cliff.
Last summer, Milan wanted €50 million above the algorithm’s number. Now, they’re ready to accept an offer that’s €20 million below it.
Leao once had everything going for him in Milan. In the 2021/22 season, he carried them to the Scudetto, racking up 11 goals and 10 assists. Clubs were fighting over him, and in 2023, Milan rewarded him with a hefty €7 million salary and a massive €175 million release clause. That’s when top European clubs started sniffing around for a record-breaking deal.
But the new contract didn’t spark another big season for Leao. In his next campaign, he scored 15 goals and managed 14 assists, but fans started to turn, especially after two weak outings against Roma in the Europa League.
Things haven’t improved since. Early in the 2024/25 season, Milan benched him for disciplinary reasons, and he seemed pretty unfazed, something that sparked more criticism. He’s had some public clashes with head coach Max Allegri, too. Despite still being Milan’s top scorer, he hasn’t scored in two months. And the fans? They’ve booed him at home games, most recently against Juventus and earlier against Udinese.
Now, Milan looks ready to move on. Leao’s raw talent is still obvious, but at San Siro, the excitement has faded. SciSports, the data analytics folks, show his performance is in “significant decline” based on their SciSkill rating. Still, they think he can bounce back.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan plans to hold off until the World Cup, hoping Leao puts on a big show for Portugal and builds hype again.
He’s still got admirers. Arsenal’s been keeping tabs on him, FootballTransfers said back in February. Chelsea, Liverpool, and United are all in the market for a left-sided attacker and would jump at the chance to grab a rejuvenated Leao.
Sure, the €120 million rumours are a thing of the past. But the old Leão, the top-class player, is still in there somewhere. He just needs the right club, coach, and a fresh start.
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