Isco’s fringe role under Santiago Solari at Real Madrid has offered encouragement to a host of major clubs in Serie A and the Premier League.
Santiago Solari’s decision not to even name Isco on the bench in Real Madrid’s Champions League win over Roma not only laid bare the existence of a major problem in the relationship between player and coach, but has also offered encouragement to the major clubs that have tracked the Spaniard for a number of years.
Isco situation sparks renewed interest in player
After Isco opted to renew his Madrid contract until 2022 last year, and in view of the confidence that Los Blancos’ former boss, Zinedine Zidane, consistently showed in the midfielder during his tenure, Manchester City and Juventus had seemingly given up hope of securing his services.
However, the 26-year-old’s current predicament at the Bernabéu, where Solari has left him out of every one of his six starting line-ups since replacing Julen Lopetegui last month, is unsustainable in the long term. He won’t accept a fringe role, and it is a situation that is sparking renewed interest from his long-term admirers.
Napoli also reported to be eyeing Isco
Juve and City have followed Isco’s progress for several seasons, but they’re by no means the former Málaga player’s only major suitors. “Napoli are keeping a close eye on the situation, revealed the Italian newspaper Il Mattino yesterday, albeit adding: “He’d come with a very high price tag, though.”
A move to Naples would reunite Isco with Carlo Ancelotti, who he worked with in his first two years at Madrid, and who is among the coaches to have shown the most faith in his abilities. Under Ancelotti, the Spain international featured 53 times in 2013/14, netting 11 goals and supplying nine assists, before making the same number of appearances the following year, scoring six and setting up 13.