After 12 unforgettable seasons with Real Madrid, a Ballon d'Or triumph, four league titles, and a whopping six Champions League titles, Luka Modric is headed out the door of the Santiago Bernabeu this summer and on to a new challenge in what just might be the greatest career ever forged by a box-to-box midfielder.
The gargantuan task of replacing Lukita awaits Real Madrid, who already waved goodbye to another legendary midfielder last summer in German Toni Kroos. Now, the Croatian magician who so wonderfully donned the No. 10 for more than a decade in the capital will be gone.
Real Madrid aren't going to be able to replace Modric directly, but while they discuss possible transfer solutions, they will literally have to replace Modric by giving his iconic jersey number 10 to another Real Madrid player.
Kylian Mbappe has already been offered the jersey
One rumored candidate is Kylian Mbappe, who is already fitting the shoes in terms of caliber of player. Mbappe broke Cristiano Ronaldo's record for most goals in a debut season by a Real Madrid player, sewing Pichichi honors over Robert Lewandowski with 31 LaLiga strikes.
Mbappe already wears the 10 jersey for the French national team as a former World Cup winner and two-time finalist. According to a report from El Chiringuito, Real Madrid have already offered Mbappe the 10 jersey after Modric. Mbappe currently wears Cristiano's first Madrid number and Karim Benzema's - another highly iconic jersey, the 9 - and Le Parisien actually reported in 2024 that Mbappe would get the 9 first and then get the 10 after Modric's departure.
While Mbappe's succession to Modric's 10 jersey would make sense, the 9 seems to suit him better as the main striker and the focal point of the attack. The new technical and creative genius at Real Madrid would fit the No. 10 better, and that is Arda Guler, who, while not a Modric successor, is the closest Real Madrid are ever going to get to the diminutive Croatian's magic.
Since transitioning to a deeper midfield role under Carlo Ancelotti, Guler has been outstanding for Real Madrid, consistently shining in important games with decisive goals and assists, the ability to produce magic from nothing, great vision, strong dribbling in tight spaces, and even improved defensive work.
Guler looks like the future of the Real Madrid midfield. Mbappe is already wearing a storied jersey number and has accomplished a ton in world football.He doesn't need the confidence boost of the No. 10 jersey. But Guler, who is only 20 and looks up to Modric, would do wonders with the 10 kit and would benefit immensely from a psychological perspective from receiving that kind of backing.