Luka Modrić still rocks

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The long-rumoured transfer of Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan to Manchester City is nearing completion, with Fab giving it the ol’ here we go. Several outlets are reporting the guaranteed fee as €55m, with incentives possibly rising to €70m. As we’ve said before on both the newsletter and podcast, it’s a lot of money for a highlights player who doesn’t do a lot when he’s not scoring or assisting.

But we’re not going to beat a dead horse today. Instead, let’s talk about a fresh rumour that Reijnders’ replacement is likely to be 39-year-old Luka Modrić. Gianluca Di Marzio says Milan is closing in on the signing and expect to wrap it up shortly.

Modrić’s stats may, to some degree, be inflated by playing for Real Madrid and getting to pass the ball to Real Madrid players. But he’s undeniably much better than Reijnders at advancing the ball into dangerous areas from deep, both with his passing and his carrying.

But this is obviously not a simple case of “Modrić midfield radar bigger, therefore Modrić better.” Reijnders scored 10 goals in Serie A this season. He has proven equally adept at ripping missiles from 20 yards and Lampard-style box crashing. The best version of Modrić could do this stuff while also being one of the world’s best deep-lying playmakers, but he’s lost that running forward and scoring part of his game as he’s aged.

I don’t think there was any kind of significant profile thought put into these transactions for Milan. They weren’t in a good negotiating position with Reijnders after missing Champions League and probably felt they had to sell. Modrić is probably the best player available to them who plays the same position.

But this swap means Milan will probably have to completely re-think the way their midfield operates. They’ve replaced an elite athlete and goal-scorer who is average at ball progression with a tiny, slow guy who does not get into the box and is one of the best ball progressors on earth.

Whether losing Reijnders and replacing him with Modrić makes Milan better or worse will depend heavily on other transactions and how they construct their midfield around Modrić. Milan are definitely going to look like a much different team, though, and I’m excited to see what Modrić can do in Serie A.

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More transfer rumours

• In other Milan news, Chelsea are interested in their goalkeeper Mike Maignan. His shot stopping and claims are not spectacular, but slightly above average. He’s a heck of a lot better with his feet than Robert Sanchez, though. In any event, Chelsea need to sell 3 or 4 goalkeepers before they buy another one.

• I won’t link the paper that starts with S and rhymes with Fun, but they’re reporting that Thomas Partey is in talks with Barcelona since Arsenal won’t give him an offer that “reflects his standing.”

• Barcelona have also won the race for goalkeeper Joan Garcia. I can’t wait for this August’s inevitable Barca-La Liga court case.

• The Telegraph think Saudi teams might target Son Heung-Min for a big money move, and I think Spurs would be fine with either outcome. Either their club icon sticks around or they get a big fee for a 32-year-old who’s declining.

• The Mirror has a similar story about Jadon Sancho, though his club’s position might be a bit different. Man United will be practically begging him to go take the money in Saudi Arabia.

• Apparently Martin Zubimendi might not go to Arsenal because he’s still reluctant about leaving San Sebastian? Girl, same.

• With Milos Kerkez to Liverpool almost done, Bournemouth are close to signing his replacement in Adrien Truffert from Rennes. The 23-year-old isn’t quite the athlete that Kerkez is, but he’s a very good corner taker and wins 81% of attempted tackles.

• Here’s a rumour linking Man United to Nicolas Jackson, which I’d like for all parties.

• Inter Milan would like to rival the Premier League’s rich clubs for Marc Guehi. Would be interesting to see if Crystal Palace are willing to take less money/compromise on fee structure if they don’t have to play against him.

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