Massimiliano Allegri is excited at having Luka Modric on board after outlining his determination to get AC Milan back into the Champions League.
Allegri returned to Milan in May after an 11-year absence and was introduced to the media today.
The 57-year-old and new sporting director Igli Tare have already made moves in the transfer market with Allegri confirming the impending departure of Theo Hernandez to Al-Hilal while veteran Real Madrid midfielder Modric will arrive after the Club World Cup.
Croatian Modric is now 39 but will join Milan when his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu expires.
“We’re waiting for him to join up with us, he will be here in August,” Allegri said. “He’s an important and extraordinary player.”
Pre-season starts here 💪#Sempremilan pic.twitter.com/bVrmFwCZuz
— AC Milan (@acmilan) July 5, 2025
Allegri: The goal is to get back in the Champions League
Allegri won the Scudetto in his first spell at San Siro and is expecting the club to do better next season than the eighth-placed finish they managed last term.
He added: ”It is difficult finding explanations in football and it isn’t down to me to say what happened last year. Today a new season is starting and we must focus on this.
“[Last season] AC Milan won a trophy, they played in the Coppa Italia final and they played some great games. There’s no need for a revolution, we must work off the good things done, then it’s up to me to make the squad as strong as possible. We will need great dedication in daily work.
“We are beginning to train and we need to start the season with enthusiasm, passion, determination and a sense of responsibility. We must create the conditions to reach our objectives at the end of the year: the first goal is to get back in the Champions League, in March we must be in this position.
“We can only get there with work and improving everything. We will try to reach the best possible results, this must be the goal, never being satisfied.”
Maignan and Leao to stay at Milan
Goalkeeper Mike Maignan and winger Rafael Leao have been linked with moves away but Allegri appeared confident both would remain with Milan next season.
He said: “Mike is one of the best goalkeepers in Europe, I am happy that he has decided to stay and he will be the team captain.
“Rafa is an extraordinary player and he will have a great season, he is maturing well. I think he is more responsible. I met him this morning and we spoke, he has all the conditions to do well.”
Allegri has been out of work since being sacked by Juventus in May 2024. He had two spells with the Bianconeri with the first particularly fruitful, leading the club to five Serie A crowns and four Coppas Italia.
His second stint was less successful with Juve only winning the 2024 Coppa Italia before he was dismissed.
His return to Milan was not universally welcomed by fans who continue to express their frustration at the direction of the club under owners RedBird Capital.
Allegri knows he has a job on his hands but called on everyone to pull in the right direction.
“The only way to regain the fans’ faith is by working responsibly and getting results which are the most important thing in football,” he said. “First we must become a team, and then the results will come. The fans will have to give us a hand, we absolutely need them.”
Milan open their season with a Coppa Italia game against Bari before their first Serie A game against Cremonese on August 23.
