Real Madrid outcast Isco has reportedly emerged as a transfer target for Premier League club Everton with new manager Rafael Benitez seeking a reunion.
According to a report from Spanish outlet Fichajes, Premier League outfit Everton are very interested in making a summer move for Real Madrid’s forgotten midfielder Isco, with new manager Rafael Benitez driving the interest in the Spaniard.
Isco has been with Real Madrid for eight years now, having arrived as a rising star from Malaga in 2013. The 29-year-old has managed over 330 appearances for Los Blancos registering 51 goals and 56 assists and has tasted plenty of success during his time at the Bernabeu. However, he has slowly fallen way down the pecking order over the past few seasons.
Indeed, in the last two seasons combined Isco has managed to start just 23 La Liga games out of a possible 76, indicating his standing within the squad. And even though Carlo Ancelotti, the man who signed him from Malaga, is now back at the helm, the Spaniard’s situation is unlikely to improve with Real Madrid in the market for a new midfielder, with Nicolo Barella of Inter Milan a key target.
With the door being closed by one manager, Isco could be offered an escape route by another ex-Real Madrid boss as Rafael Benitez is now keen on the 29-year-old playmaker. The Spaniard was named the new manager of Everton in a decision that has stirred up some controversy considering his past association with Liverpool.
Plans are underway for the upcoming season, with Benitez deciding that he will use a 4-2-3-1 formation at Everton. But, the future of James Rodriguez is a big question mark due to his past falling out with the manager while at Real Madrid while Gylfi Sigurdsson is being strongly linked with a move to Al-Hilal this summer, leaving the newly-appointed manager short of options to play as a No.10.
This has seemingly led Benitez to prioritise a move for Isco, hoping that he is able to hit the ground running and form a deadly duo with centre-forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who himself continues to be linked with a host of top clubs. The report adds that the 29-year-old Real Madrid ace is keen on leaving while Ancelotti wouldn’t stand in the way of him leaving either.
So, it now remains to be seen if a transfer to Everton materialises for Isco or if he ends up signing for a different club altogether, with La Liga outfit Sevilla also interested in his services.