Madrid: Spain international Isco will look to leave Real Madrid in the summer after growing tired of a lack of first team opportunities with the European champions, Spanish media reported on Tuesday.
Spanish sports daily Marca reported that the midfielder, who cast doubt on his future at the club on Saturday, is unhappy with his role in the team this campaign, citing information coming from the player’s representatives.
Isco has started 11 of 21 games in La Liga and only one in the Champions League.
Marca reported the 24-year-old was also unhappy with Real Madrid’s offer of an improved salary in negotiations to renew his contract and that he wants to move to the Premier League, with Manchester City his number one choice.
Isco scored a crucial goal in Real’s 3-1 at Osasuna on February 11 but was left out of the team in Wednesday’s 3-1 win over Napoli in Europe’s elite competition.
He is ranked 15th in the squad for the number of minutes played this season and rarely starts when coach Zinedine Zidane has a full squad available.
The Spaniard, however, played a starring role in Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Espanyol on Saturday, setting up goalscorers Alvaro Morata and Gareth Bale, but after the game said he was uncertain whether he would remain at the club beyond the summer.
“I’m calm but I’m concerned about the number of minutes I am playing because the career of a player is very short,” he told BeIN sports.
“I’m very happy here and I would like to stay for many more years. We’ll take a decision at the end of the season, because my future is at stake.” Isco became one of Spain’s hottest prospects in his second season with Malaga as he inspired his local team’s march to the quarter-finals of the 2012/13 Champions League.
He joined Real for a reported 30 million euros (Dh116 million) in July 2013, winning two Champions Leagues and the King’s Cup.
Last April his former coach at Malaga, Manuel Pellegrini, told Marca that Isco had been on the verge of joining him at City before he finally opted to move to the Spanish giants.
Real play one of the two La Liga games they currently have in hand when they travel to play Valencia in the Mestalla Stadium on Wednesday, kick-off 9.45pm UAE time.
Madrid travel with a one-point lead over Barcelona after the comfortable win over Espanyol on Saturday afternoon in which Zidane was able to rest Luka Modric, Karim Benzema, Marcelo and Sergio Ramos.
Skipper Ramos was suffering from a minor muscle problem but will be fit for Valencia and will probably replace Pepe in the starting 11, while Marcelo will also be back in the side after Nacho Fernandez suffered a muscle injury at the weekend.
Bale returned against Espanyol after 88 days out recovering from an ankle operation and was able to celebrate his recovery with Madrid’s second goal as he played his first 20 minutes football in almost three months.
The Welshman said afterwards he still needed time to be back to his best and can expect to play another 30-45 minutes on Wednesday night.
The Valencia game was originally to be played on December 18, but was postponed due to Real Madrid participating in the World Club Championships — and there is a feeling the delay has been more of a benefit to Valencia than the league leaders.
Before the end of 2016, Valencia were struggling for form and confidence under former Italy boss Cesare Prandelli. But since the Italian’s resignation at the end of the year and his replacement by Voro Gonzalez, Valencia’s performances have improved noticeably and last Sunday’s 2-0 win over Athletic Club Bilbao lifted them seven points clear of the relegation zone.
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