Real Madrid: Is Pep Guardiola still going after Isco?
Real Madrid attacking midfielder Isco has enjoyed a massive turn around in form over the last few weeks since getting back to full strength, and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has put the Spanish international back on his radar.
Isco has long been a favorite of Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane’s, and the former Malaga star is finally becoming an important part of the squad again. Recently, Isco has made an impact for Los Blancos as a wide man, first starting on the right over Gareth Bale and Rodrygo against PSG and then starting over Vinicius Junior in the injured Eden Hazard’s place against Deportivo Alaves.
In both games, Isco was impressive. He put in dirty work defensively with plenty of tackles, offered a creative spark, and made so many brilliant runs off the ball to disrupt two stingy defenses. Zidane’s gamble paid off both times, and Isco has shown why he is one of the world’s best attacking midfielders when at full strength.
Teams around Europe have started to take notice of the 27-year-old’s return to stardom, and he should generate more interest on the transfer market this winter. Real will be less inclined to sell him despite their depth at the position, especially since Zidane is a fan of his and has benefited from using his versatility.
Still, that won’t stop teams from trying. According to a report from El Desmarque’s Jorge Santos, Pep Guardiola and Manchester City are preparing a 50 million euro offer for the Spanish international.
Next. 5 players who must shine against Espanyol. dark
On the surface, that seems like fair value for Real, and El Desmarque reports that Florentino Perez would be interested in that price. But Zidane wouldn’t, as he values Isco highly. So if City want to acquire the star man as another impact player in their loaded midfield, then they would have to bump their price. Between Isco and James Rodriguez, the latter is the one whom Zidane would be fine with selling despite his own star status and solid performances before his injury.
Isco has been linked to Guardiola several times in the past, so Real Madrid fans will simply roll their eyes at this latest rumor. City have bigger issues in defense, but Isco could be an X-Factor in the attack, especially with the form he’s shown for Los Blancos recently.