What’s the story?
Denis Suarez and Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta in an interview with Spanish Radio channel Cadena Ser admitted that they would love to see Real Madrid man Isco in a Bacelona shirt, amidst speculation linking him to Barcelona in the past couple of weeks.
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Denis Suarez said, “Of course I would like to have Isco as a team-mate, all good players are welcome in our team. Isco has an incredible talent but right now he is under contract with Real. We have to wait and see what happens. If he doesn't sign a contract extension, then we can talk”.
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Andres Iniesta heaped praise on the talents of the midfielder, “He is a fantastic player, with an incredible talent. For many years he has been done things very well and he is in one of the best teams there is”.
In case he didn’t know..
The rumours linking Isco to a move to Barcelona have become a transfer saga of sorts. Earlier in the season, the Real Madrid man was quoted saying that he will evaluate his situation at the end of the season before deciding to sign a new contract with the Spanish giants.
Isco was most recently linked with a move to Barcelona in 2018 when his contract with the current Champions League holders runs out. However, the midfielder has since gone on to deny the rumours saying, “As players, we're susceptible to rumours. We're used to it and now that there's less football with the international break, some sections of the media have to make things up”.
The heart of the matter
There aren’t a lot of players who move from Real Madrid to Barcelona directly, given the history between the two clubs. The last player successfully do that is the current Barcelona manager Luis Enrique back in 1996.
However, given the talents of Isco, he will be perfect for the Barcelona midfiled. Barcelona club captain Andres Iniesta at the age of 33, isn’t getting any younger, and the Spanish international will be the perfect replacement for the legendary La Masia graduate.
What’s Next?
Isco’s contract situation is up for the media to speculate on until there is concrete evidence of something. There are reports that he has been offered a new contract to stay at Madrid, but on the long run, that is something he would need to evaluate given the playing time he gets at Real.
A move to Barcelona would obviously get him a lot of hate and criticism from the Real Madrid fans, but it is a dream move for any football player.
Author’s Take
Andres Iniesta and Denis Suarez’s quotes are sure to increase the speculation surrounding the playmaker. Barcelona players have previously spoken about players moving to the club, before they actually moved (read Cesc Fabregas), and it has been a successful tactic for the Catalan giants in the past.
However, it is quite clear that the decision in itself will depend on the game time Isco receives between now and the end of the season at the Bernabeu. The ball is in your court now Mr. Zinedine Zidane.
