Luka Modric is already back at work despite being on holiday, as Milan wait to finalise his contract renewal, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.
This matters because of what Milan are actually getting. A 39-year-old free agent arriving from Real Madrid could easily be a marketing signing, a name to sell shirts rather than a footballer who moves the needle. Modric's habits suggest otherwise. A player who refuses to switch off in the one window he's allowed to is not coming to Italy for a farewell tour.
Gazzetta report that Modric has kept training through his break, working to keep his body ticking over before he returns to Milano. He will report for pre-season a little later than his teammates, given the summer he's had, but the paper is clear he won't come back out of shape.
The role is the interesting part. Under Massimiliano Allegri, Milan's midfield lacked a genuine controller, someone to set tempo and dictate from deep. Modric can be that man, but at his age he can't be it every three days. Expect him to be managed carefully, a starter for the big games and a presence off the bench elsewhere, rather than a fixture in all 38 league matches.
The renewal itself is expected soon, which removes any lingering doubt over the arrangement. For a player of his standing on a short-term deal, that's the formality it should be.
Milan aren't signing Modric to run a season into the ground. They're signing him to raise the standard of everyone around him, and a man who trains on holiday tends to make that point without saying a word.