THE sight of Isco scoring a hat-trick in Spain’s 6-1 thrashing of Argentina in the week would have been little consolation to Real Madrid fans.
Supporters of Spain’s capital club have long been aware of the 25-year-old’s dazzling ability.
But Real coach Zinedine Zidane remains reluctant to place his full trust in the playmaker.
Isco has been in and out of the Frenchman’s starting XI at Real this season, completing 90 minutes in La Liga on just 11 occasions.
This summer he looks destined to leave the reigning European champions and there will be no shortage of suitors.
Already a Manchester City transfer target, every member of the Premier League’s top six should be part of the chase for Isco this summer.
With that in mind, we asked our friends at Football Whispers to explain exactly why the Real outcast will be such hot property when the transfer window opens.
He can unpick defences
The club which signs Isco this summer will be getting an extremely accomplished creator as well as a goal-scoring midfielder.
Despite being afforded just 18 La Liga starts this season, Isco has scored five times and supplied as many assists for his Real Madrid teammates.
That’s a figure which puts him fifth behind Karim Benzema, Lucas Vazquez, Toni Kroos and Cristiano Ronaldo for assists, despite limited game time.
On top of that, Isco is fourth for key passes per 90 (2.4) and only just behind Vazquez who leads the way with an average of 2.9.
Impressively, that number puts him ahead of Gareth Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo and Luka Modric this season.
He also comes out on top for through passes per 90 with his average of 0.3 better than any of his illustrious teammates.
He can hold onto the ball
Not only does Isco know when to use the ball, he helps his side retain possession by averaging 75.4 passes per 90.
Only Dani Ceballos – in 16 fewer appearances – and Toni Kroos have higher averages at 89.2 and 82.1 respectively.
And when he is pressed, Isco has the confidence and ability to get himself out of trouble by completing an average of 2.7 dribbles per 90 – the second most at Real Madrid.
By contrast, Ronaldo and Bale complete just 1.3 and 1.6 respectively, despite being famed for their ability to beat players.
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He’s got big-game experience
Despite finding minutes increasingly hard to come by in the last two seasons at Real Madrid, Isco has been a big part of an incredibly successful era at the Bernabeu.
Since moving to the capital from Malaga in 2013, the Andalusian has helped his side win the Champions League, Super Cup and Club World Cup three times, as well as La Liga, the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup.
On the international scene he is yet to taste glory with La Roja, but he has done so with La Rojita, Spain’s Under-21s, victorious at the 2013 Under-21 European Championship in Israel and the Under-19 version in Romania two years prior.
Signing Isco is signing a winner; someone with the nous, temperament and quality to deliver in big moments.
He’s versatile
This season Real coach Zidane has switched from the 4-3-3 system which has been so successful in recent years to a 4-4-2 diamond.
That has meant a change of role for Isco and, on the face of it, the integration of an out-and-out No10 in a diamond shape should have played into his hands.
Instead he has been asked to play in the centre of midfield, on the right and on the left with Marco Asensio, Ceballos and Mateo Kovacic all competing for a place in the side.
But he can fill any number of roles playing behind the forward, affording whoever signs him tactical flexibility.
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He’d come relatively cheap
Although he signed a new five-year deal with Real in September, it is clear Isco sees his future away from the Bernabeu.
“With Madrid I do not have the confidence that a player needs,” he said after his hat-trick on Tuesday.
“Maybe the problem is me, that I have not won Zidane’s confidence with the good players there.”
Rated at around £88m, such is Isco’s desperation to leave Real Madrid and kickstart his career that a deal could be done for around half that price which would be a bargain for a player of his calibre.
The race is on.
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