Why is there a lack of interest in Isco at the moment

Real Madrid attacking midfielder Isco wants to come out, but it can be difficult to move him.

Last season, Isco earned himself a niche role in the Real Madrid squad and became an important part of the rotation at the end of the season. Few can forget the impact he had against Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabéu, although the fans can be forgiven for forgetting it as, honestly, Isco has done so little since March.

As it is, the Andalusian has started in three games with four appearances on the Real Madrid bench, without contributing a goal contribution in his 286 minutes. Isco had a good game off the bench against Real Betis, playing a key role in the 3-2 win at Benito Villamarín. But apart from that, the former Malaga has been kept quite quiet for Los Blancos.

Isco wants to go out. He has made it clear that he wants a transfer in January, which Real Madrid did not anticipate despite the player’s lack of minutes.

According to a report by Joaquín Maroto de AS, Real Madrid have not yet received a transfer offer from Isco. And it seems that the problem is the price.

Real, by AS, they want between 65 and 70 million euros for the attacking midfielder, which is a price that no one in their right mind should pay. Isco is barely worth half of that in this economy, especially when you factor in his salary. Really, Los Blancos are waiting for a Premier League team to jump out and desperate enough to make a move. I honestly don’t see how Real could get more for Isco than they did for James Rodriguez, who found an ideal place to land at Everton.

Although James’ explosion in 2020-2021 under Carlo Ancelotti actually works in Isco’s favor. James showed that the problem was the system and not its quality. Isco is a very different player from James even though they play in similar positions, but they have something in common. At another club with less competition and pressure and the ability to tailor a game plan to his strengths, Isco could thrive. And therefore it would be worth a large sum of money, even if it is not an extravagant price of 65 to 70 million euros.

Another thing that makes Isco more difficult to move is that, for AS, the club must sell Isco to generate funds. A loan is out. So that eliminates the possibility of even a loan with a call option, which the teams would likely prefer as a low-risk alternative to buying directly from Isco.

For now, Real Madrid has no offers. That should change as we get closer to January, but I have a feeling Isco will only sell out if Los Blancos moderate their expectations of what they might get in exchange for the 28-year-old.