Chelsea have reportedly put a lucrative contract worth £160,000-a-week on the table in an attempt to prise Isco away from Real Madrid this summer.
The 24-year-old has struggled to establish himself as a regular starter for Los Blancos under Zinedine Zidane this season, although he’s still managed 31 appearances in all competitions, scoring seven goals and providing six assists.
As a result of that inability to secure regular playing time though with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale ahead of him in the pecking order at the Bernabeu, Diario Gol report that Chelsea are one of a number of clubs looking to sign the Spanish international at the end of the season.
What complicates the situation further is that Isco is believed to be demanding £8.5m per year, with Chelsea, Manchester City and Barcelona all keen on signing him and ready to pay such wages.
The issue for Madrid though is that should they give him that wage increase, it has a knock-on effect with other players in the squad who would potentially argue that they deserve salary hikes of their own in that event so not to be on par with a bit-part player.
As a result, the La Liga leaders could have a real headache on their hands if they’re unable to reach an agreement with Isco as he provided a timely reminder at the weekend of just what he’s capable of and he remains an important part of that squad.
Naturally, if he is to leave, Madrid will be desperate to avoid seeing him move to Barcelona, and so Chelsea or City could be the best possible solution given that they will likely have no problem meeting such financial demands.