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#6 Isco
The 26-year-old Spanish international was named the Golden Boy of 2012, which meant that he was adjudged to be the best player in the world under the age of 21 for that given year. It therefore came as no surprise when Real Madrid swooped in for his signature in a €30m deal with Malaga in 2013.
The move has proved to be highly beneficial to Isco on a professional level, as multiple titles have been won, and he can boast of having four Champions League medals in his cabinet, which only six clubs in all of Europe can lay claim to.
However, on a personal level, it has not been as rewarding, as five years on, and the jury is still out on Isco, as he has yet to truly show his abilities and fulfill his enormous potential, with the large belief among many being that he has just been a member rather than an integral part of Real Madrid’s successes.
Isco is very capable of two extremes, either influencing proceedings with his mesmerizing skills, or being exasperating with his need for unnecessary flicks and killing attacks by holding onto the ball for too long. Another criticized aspect of his game is that he is not productive enough in the final third, as he lacks the precision required to play in a teammate into a scoring position.
So far this season, he has shown more of his weaknesses than strengths, and even though he had a spell on the sidelines due to an operation, it must be noted that he has not done too much to control proceedings in midfield since his return, as he alongside his fellow midfielders have failed to stamp their authority in the middle like it was in the past.
Isco was one of the most vocal members of the squad following Ronaldo’s departure, stating that it was more about the team, and taking a thinly veiled swipe at Ronaldo that the club couldn’t afford to cry over a player who didn’t want to really be there, but four months on from Ronaldo’s departure and he has still failed to step up and be counted.
