Isco will lose a fortune by staying in LaLiga

Although in principle he had been given until the end of last week to resolve his future, Isco Alarcón is still in football limbo after his contract with Real Madrid came to an end on 30 June. Offers, from various clubs, have not been lacking for the Málaga-born midfielder. Some of them offering salaries similar to what he was earning at Real Madrid - six million euros net.

Mourinho’s Roma, for example, offered him more than 4 million net for two seasons - plus a signing bonus. Galatasaray exceeded that figure. Newcastle, without a firm proposal in the end due to the player’s unwillingness to consider a move to St James Park, were willing to put up even more money. And in January of this year, he received an offer from Qatar for between 10 and 15 million euros per season, tax-free...

But Isco wasn’t seduced by any of the big money offers that came in and now, unless he receives a new offer from a club involved in the Champions League, he is determined to stay in LaLiga, where he has mainly had two opportunities - both in the Andalusian capital. Betis - who have since given up on signing him due to money issues, and Sevilla, where there were reservations about his high profile. As things stand, Isco is now willing to cut his salary by half, or more, in order to stay in Spain. And ideally, at a club which is playing in the Champions League.

Julen Lopetegui and Manuel Pellegrini are both keen on the player. The Sevilla coach, in fact, has been asking the club’s management to negotiate a deal with Isco for some time. At Sevilla, they have not completely ruled out the possibility of signing the player but warn that “many other things still have to be adjusted”. In other words, adjustments to the squad, books need to be balanced, so that Isco would have a place in the team. The only hitch is that Sevilla already have too many creative midfielders as well as a salary cap, and that is a major problem.