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Luka Modric admits he is not happy with playing situation at Real Madrid

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 12 October 2023

Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric addresses his lack of starts this season amid speculation that he could leave Bernabeu in January.

Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric has said that he 'always wants to play' amid fresh speculation surrounding his future with the Spanish giants.

The Croatia international was heavily linked with a move away from Los Blancos over the summer, but he ultimately penned a one-year contract extension at Bernabeu to take him until June 2024.

Modric has made nine appearances for Real Madrid this season, but he has only featured from the start on four occasions, having dropped down the pecking order at the club this term.

The 38-year-old had been an undisputed starter for the capital giants before this campaign, and he has admitted that his new role at the club has been difficult to navigate.

"Oh well, it's certainly a new situation for me not to play as much as before and as much as I'd like," Sportske Novosti quotes Modric as saying.

Real Madrid's Luka Modric and Toni Kroos celebrate after the match on September 18, 2022 © Reuters

"I always want to play, I don't want to have breaks, I don't want to have vacations, I want to play because that's when I feel the best and that's how I prepare best for matches.

"That's simply how the situation is now and it may have some positives in the future, but I don't want that, I want to play, if necessary every three days because I feel physically well.

"It would be another story if I didn't feel good but I feel good physically and mentally, I want to play."

However, Modric has said that he is accepting of his current situation, suggesting that he is not actively looking to leave Real Madrid at this moment in time.

Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior celebrates scoring their third goal with Luka Modric on August 20 2022 © Reuters

"Everything that happens around me is a normal process, so I simply accept it like that and I have to mentally prepare for this situation, accept it and move on," he added.

Modric continues to be heavily linked with a move away from Real Madrid, and it was recently claimed that the midfielder could attempt to depart during the January transfer window.

However, Los Blancos head coach Carlo Ancelotti has said that he is expecting the Croatian to remain at Bernabeu until at least the end of his contract.

A number of Saudi Arabian clubs are believed to be keen to sign Modric on a free transfer next year.

Meanwhile, Dinamo Zagreb have signalled a desire to bring the experienced midfielder back to Croatia, with the club's president of the board Vlatka Peras revealing that she is "in constant contact with him".