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Isco has let Real Madrid know that he wants to leave the club this winter, which basically forced the club to make a sale.
Last season, Isco was featured in transfer rumors during the first half of the campaign, but Real Madrid didn’t sell him and he probably wasn’t going to get a suitable offer due to his lack of form. In the second half of the season, however, Isco played a key role at times for the Whites, standing out in victories over Osasuna and Barcelona.
But this season, Isco has been on the periphery of the Real Madrid squad. He did well in the team’s 3-2 win over Real Betis in the second game of the season, coming off the bench to deliver an important performance. Since then, Isco has been invisible every time he plays, and is averaging even fewer key passes every 90 minutes than Ferland Mendy, for example, according to WhoScored.com.
Isco is no longer a key part of Zinedine Zidane’s weekly game plan, and it is time for him to leave the club. The Andalusian midfielder has seen the writing on the wall, as he requested a transfer in January.
According to MARCA’s José Félix Díaz, Real Madrid was “caught off guard” by Isco requesting a mid-season transfer. They must have thought that for all the years Isco decided to stay without asking to leave, he wouldn’t suddenly change his heart.
Perhaps he saw how James Rodríguez is doing at Everton with Carlo Ancelotti and wants to have similar success elsewhere. James has flourished as the focal point of a mid-level Premier League team that suddenly doesn’t look so mid-level under the new leadership. Isco, for his part, has been linked to the Toffees, although Ancelotti himself had strong words denying the rumors.
Real Madrid will have to work to find a willing transfer partner for Isco, although teams should be interested. There are a number of Premier League teams that could use Isco’s ball prowess and passing ability, and he has a keen eye for goal with his mid-range curlers. A team must take the good with the bad, but if they can pay Isco’s salary, the positive weighs more for sure.
Finally, Real cannot be selective about the offers it receives. Isco has made his intention to leave clear, and now he won’t want to waste time at Madrid. Whites will not be discounted, but they must be realistic about what they can get in this market. They might be surprised by the transfer request, but given how little Isco has played and how much better he would do elsewhere, they really shouldn’t be surprised.
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