OPINION
Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with Real Madrid star Isco for several years now, but the likelihood of such a move taking place has always been pretty low.
The Spain international is one of the top attacking midfielders in Europe, and would be chased by the vast majority of the continent’s best clubs if he did decide to leave the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, Mauricio Pochettino’s work at Tottenham over the past few years has begun to push the club towards that top bracket of teams, and the imminent opening of their new stadium certainly helps their cause.
And, in terms of an exit from Madrid for Isco, that also looks to be coming closer, with Marca reporting that the 26-year-old maestro has fallen out with new boss Santiago Solari.
The Spanish newspaper claim that Isco refused to shake his manager’s hand following their 3-0 embarrassment at the hands of Eibar, an incident which led to him being left out of their Champions League win v Roma.
Marca suggest that Isco is now set for an extended period on the bench for Real, with the international ace also reportedly lacking intensity in training.
This is obviously not an untenable situation for Isco, but the cracks are most certainly beginning to show for the 26-year-old at the Bernabeu, Tottenham must pry open those cracks by striking in the next two windows.
Spurs have been crying out for a marquee arrival for the past few seasons, and a player like Isco could really help to take this team to the next level.
Obviously he will not come cheap, with Isco having a contract at Real until 2022, but Spurs know they need to begin splashing out soon to keep up with the big boys.
A big-money move for the 26-year-old is a good place to start, and they must put the wheels in motion to make this happen soon.