Modric plays a blinder as Real Madrid are backed into a corner

Luka Modric has earned himself a huge new pay rise at Real Madrid, according to reports in the Spanish press.

The Croatian midfielder – voted the Best Player at the 2018 World Cup – has been rumoured to be leaving Real Madrid all summer, with Inter Milan seemingly his most likely destination.

According to multiple reports, Inter were offering 32-year-old Modric a huge contract for six seasons – four at the San Siro and two more with Inter’s owners’ CSL side Jiangsu Suning. But now it seems the 32-year-old is going nowhere.

With Real president Florentino Perez desperate to keep the player, it seems Inter’s interest in him has forced the European champions to act, with both AS and Marca now claiming Modric is on the brink of signing a new deal at the Bernabeu.

According to Marca, Modric will go into the new season with a pay rise that gives him parity with captain Sergio Ramos, with only Gareth Bale taking home a fatter pay packet.

The player isn’t the first person this summer to use reported interest from other clubs to secure bumper pay rises; both Samuel Umtiti at Barcelona and Diego Godin at Atletico both used Manchester United to earn increased wages at their respective clubs.