Luka Modric 3.0

After a couple of seasons well off his usual standard (despite scoring and assisting more), Luka Modric is going through another youth. It can be said that it is his third. The first was when he was technically a teenager, the second was when he reached the World Cup final with Croatia and know this is the third. 

The Croatian footballer has got numbers which he never reached in his previous three seasons. He has started almost half of all the games he played last term (13 out of 28), but that does not seem to affect Modric. He is the professional with the least amount of rest out of all of the top players on the continent. 

Modric's contract is expiring and his renewal is on the table. He was key against Sevilla and he once again shone against Borussia Monchengladbach in Madrid's attack. Not only that: he was also very good in defence. He is brilliant when it comes to getting the ball back. Real Madrid fans voted him the best player in November. He is doing very well in December as well. 

Modric, in the 2020-21 season, has made more passes (77.80), more long passes (6.61), more vertical passes (32.20) and progressive passes (11.93) on average over 90 minutes than in the previous three seasons. He also gets the ball back more often (4.57 times per foul) and he loses the ball less (8.35 times)

When asked about Modric, Zinedine Zidane was non-commital: "Whatever you say, they all deserve to be here."