outOut-of-favour Real Madrid star Isco is reportedly willing to listen to offers as he seeks an exit from the club amid interest from the Premier League and Serie A.
According to a report from Spanish publication Todo Fichajes, Real Madrid playmaker, Isco is considering an exit from the club before the January transfer window closes and is open to listening to offers.
The 28-year-old has been with Real Madrid since the summer of 2013, when he made the switch from Malaga as one of the most promising young midfielders in Spain. Isco tasted plenty of success early in his tenure at the Spanish capital club, playing a key role under Carlo Ancelotti as well as in Zinedine Zidane’s first spell as the manager.
However, over the past eighteen months, game-time has been hard to come for Isco. The Spanish international has been reduced to a peripheral member of the squad by Zidane, with him starting just four matches across all competitions in the ongoing campaign.
This has raised question marks over his future at the club, with reports last month claiming that Zidane was ready to push him out of Real Madrid. Now, it is believed that the 28-year-old midfielder is himself considering his future at the Santiago Bernabeu and will entertain offers before the transfer window shuts.
Isco, as per the report, has admirers in England as well as Italy. Arsenal had been heavily linked with a move for the former Malaga man, although any move now is unlikely after they signed his Real Madrid teammate, Martin Odegaard on loan for the rest of the season. Everton are also mentioned as a potential suitor for the midfielder.
From Italy, the report states that the likes of Napoli and AS Roma would be open to signing the 38-time capped Spanish international. It is further claimed that Real Madrid would be open to loaning Isco out for the second half of the season before offloading him in the summer for about €30 million.
However, the decision might raise some serious question marks as Real Madrid do not have enough depth in the middle. Indeed, after having loaned out Odegaard, the Merengues have been left with Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Federico Valverde and Isco as the options in the advanced central midfield roles.
With Valverde having had an injury-riddled campaign and Modric being 35, having enough depth would be imperative if Zidane & co. are to resurrect their faltering campaign. With little time left in the transfer window, it will be interesting to see if Isco remains a Real Madrid player beyond the deadline day.
