Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric

Cristiano Ronaldo will reportedly stay at Real Madrid after considering an exit earlier this summer, but playmaker Luka Modric has emerged as a rumoured transfer target for AC Milan.

The main news naturally focuses on prolific forward Ronaldo, who wants to stay at Real, according to Manu Sainz of Spanish source AS (h/t Robert Cottingham of MailOnline).

The report noted how Ronaldo has been "convinced by the club's hierarchy that he remains crucial to their future plans." The same sentiment is shared by the player's agents, per the article: "Despite an upcoming court appearance on July 31 over the tax accusations, the outlet report that Ronaldo's representatives have persuaded him that it's in his best interests to continue at the Bernabeu."

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

It would be surprising if Real's thinking was any different after the way Ronaldo has fired the club to three UEFA Champions League titles in four seasons as well as winning La Liga last season.

Even at 32, the Portugal international remains the free-scoring talisman in Real's squad. Ronaldo scored 38 times in all competitions for the club last season, per WhoScored.com, proof of his enduring importance.

However, things haven't run smoothly since Ronaldo scored twice to help beat Juventus in the Champions League final in June. He was accused of tax fraud in mid-June, an accusation he quickly denied.

Real president Florentino Perez told Spanish radio station El Primer Palo (h/t James Dutton of MailOnline) Ronaldo was left hurt by the accusations. Yet there were still rumours he wanted to quit the club he joined for a then-world record fee in 2009, per Kaveh Solhekol of Sky Sports News HQ.

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Having Ronaldo commit to staying in the Spanish capital is obviously a huge boost for Perez and manager Zinedine Zidane, both of whom still rely heavily on the former Manchester United man to deliver success.

Staying in Madrid is also the right move for Ronaldo, who has played the best football of his career at a club built to make marquee players even better.

Keeping Ronaldo is a boost, while the same would be true of retaining Modric, a key figure in Zidane's midfield. The 32-year-old's performances have brought him to the attention of Milan, per AS (h/t Football-Italia.net).

The reports made it clear "Real Madrid have no intention of selling, nor does the Croatia international want to leave." One way things may change is if "Modric doesn’t get regular playing time in the first six months of the season. At that point, Milan would prepare a January swoop for the former Tottenham Hotspur and Dinamo Zagreb star."

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Modric is unlikely to miss game time in the new season, especially since Real are considering selling fellow Croatian schemer Mateo Kovacic, per Tom Collomosse and Tom Doyle of the London Evening Standard.

As much as Ronaldo is the driving force up front, Modric has become the fulcrum in midfield. His efficient passing, clever movement between the lines and ability to wriggle past markers and out of tight spaces, make Zidane's men a constant threat on the counter.

Modric is the steadying force in a team otherwise populated by forward-thinking players.

Keeping both Modric and Ronaldo would ensure Los Merengues continue to boast the most balanced squad in Europe next season.