Liverpool and Arsenal have both been linked with Real Madrid midfielder Isco…
Real Madrid say £64m will be enough to prise Isco away from the Bernabeu, prompting Arsenal and Liverpool to renew their interest in the 22-year-old midfielder, according to reports in the Daily Express.
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CaughtOffside analyses the possible permutations of such a deal taking place, as well as how both the Gunners and the Reds could spend the money better:
The Rumour:
The Express believes that both Arsenal and Liverpool are in with a chance of landing Real Madrid star Isco after being informed that £64m will be enough to secure the Spaniard’s signature.
Such a fee would make the midfielder the fourth most expensive player of all time, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Luis Suarez – an extraordinary figure for a player still only on the fringe’s of the Madrid team.
The versatile midfielder is currently enjoying a fine run of form under Carlo Ancelotti, impressing in the absence of Bale, who recently spent a spell on the sidelines due to injury. His performances have attracted interest from PSG, as well as our Premier League duo.
Spending £64m – Arsenal:
Do Arsenal need a Isco? They already have plenty of attacking talent – Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez both arrived in big money deals over the course of the previous two summers, and the competition for places is already fierce with the likes of Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott pushing for an inclusion.
If Arsene Wenger has money to spent, he needs to focus further back. Having sold Thomas Vermaelen to Barcelona, they are still short on defensive cover for Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny, with Nacho Monreal and Calum Chambers regularly covering so far this season.
Defensive midfield is also an issue, with Mikel Arteta struggling with injuries, and Mathieu Flamini the only remaining contender for the holding role. Rumoured targets such as William Carvalho and Sami Khedira would surely bring more to their side than another attacking flair player.
Spending £64m – Liverpool:
Liverpool spent big on young talent during the summer transfer window, and with players such as Raheem Sterling, Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana and more queuing up for an attacking midfield role, it’s hard to see where Isco would fit in.
The Reds biggest issues are elsewhere – both at the back, where they have been desperately struggling to keep clean sheets, and up front, where they have struggled to replace the departed Luis Suarez. Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert have just one Premier League goal between them since their summer arrivals, while Daniel Sturridge has missed almost the entire season through injury.
Jackson Martinez is the latest man to be linked with solving the club’s goal issues, and he could be a far better investment. A goalkeeper to at least challenge, if not replace the struggling Simon Mignolet is also a must for Brendan Rodgers in the winter transfer window.
SEE ALSO: The Best Liverpool goals.