A missed opportunity? Why this £67.5m Real Madrid star would have been a brilliant signing for Barcelona

Why Real Madrid’s Isco Would Have Been A Wonderful Signing For Barcelona

In what came as a rather surprising bit of news, Real Madrid star Isco, according to reports, wanted a move to Barcelona late in the summer. A dip in form raised some speculation but the signing of Philippe Coutinho shut the doors for this transfer rumour. Also, Isco upped his levels and performances with higher vehemence and vigour on the football pitch, which ultimately led to him signing a new contract at the Bernabeu.

Unfortunately, another reason for the Catalans’ ignorance was his high wages, which they refused to pay. The imposing wants by the player led to Barcelona going all out for Liverpool’s Coutinho. Here, let’s try and analyse where Isco would have fit into the Barcelona lineup and how he could have affected their style of play.

Player History And Stats

Isco started his career with the Valencia reserve team, before joining and breaking into the scene at Malaga. He won the Golden Boy award and a transfer to European giants Real Madrid after that.

For Malaga, he made 82 appearances in total and scored 17 goals. Since joining Madrid, he has made 226 appearances and has chipped in with 39 goals. For the national side, the Spanish maestro has earned 24 caps since making his debut in 2013 and scored 5 goals in 2017.

What Would He Have Added To The Club

Firstly, Barcelona always opt for a 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2 formation. Isco simply adds versatility to his side, in fact, to any side he plays for. He can showcase his dynamism and creativity in the No. 10 role, play as a winger or provide defensive cover apart from his passing range in the holding midfield zone. The attack-minded player is crafty, imaginative and innovative.

He has a complete, detailed view of the football pitch when he’s on the field and undeniably, the £67.5m-rated Spaniard can pick the smartest of passes, most accurate of them, from any part of the ground. Since Zinedine Zidane’s arrival at the Bernabeu, Isco has played in a free role, with all the liberty to roam and choose his best moves.

His hunger and desire to occupy empty spaces, look for room and pick passes are what that makes him world-class. At Barcelona, he would have probably occupied the wings. Moreover, Isco could also have replaced Andres Iniesta in the deep midfield/left-wing role. One could say that the position Iniesta occupies for the Catalans, is perfectly suited for Isco to express himself and garner his range of passing.

Owing to his finishing ability, it would be the right position to pick the top corners too as the midfielder has a great eye for goal and is quite a sublime finisher, who doesn’t miss too often once positioned in a dangerous area.

Despite his obvious quality, I’m sure Barcelona wouldn’t be regretting their decision to stop their pursuit of Isco, as Coutinho is nothing less than the Spaniard.