According to reports from Manchester Evening News, in-demand midfielder Isco has revealed he’s prepared to leave Real Madrid if his lack of game-time continues.

What’s the word?

The Spain international arrived at the Bernabeu as the 2012 Golden Boy winner but has struggled to reach the same dizzying heights as other recent recipients of the award – not least Paul Pogba.

That’s not to say the attacking midfielder hasn’t been successful in Madrid; he’s been part of a squad that has lifted two Champions League titles in the past three years, but nonetheless largely stuck upon the fringes of it.

Indeed, Isco has been tested in a variety of midfield and attacking roles but failed to hold down a long-term berth in any of them and after suffering an ankle injury now finds himself someway down the pecking order – issued just one start in La Liga, against Eibar, so far this season.

And coinciding with reports of Real Madrid looking to sell next summer, courtesy of Diario Madridista, the 24-year-old has now admitted he could leave in search of more game-time.

The quotes

Manchester Evening News quote Isco as saying; “If I’ve still only made a few appearances by the end of the season, I’ll look elsewhere. At 24 years of age I have to right to better myself.”

However, there remains some debate as to where these quotes are actually from. They’ve been picked up by talkSPORT, The Daily Star and The Metro, amongst other publications, but none come up with a definitive source – although some, such as The Star, allude to ‘a statement’ from Isco. Sky Sports’ Transfer Centre (see 10:32 yesterday) attribute the original story to Hayters – of Reg Hayter and Peter Hayter fame.

Overall, FootballFanCast reckons they might be a little whiffy, so don’t get too excited just yet.

Who’s interested?

According to the aforementioned sources, just about everybody! Last week, Diario Madridista put Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City in the frame, along with Isco’s former employers Malaga, with all three clubs seemingly on the lookout for another option in attacking midfield.

However, Manchester Evening News cite ‘reported’ interest from Manchester United, which seemingly stems from Mirror Football’s claim that the Red Devils view Isco as a realistic mid-season target due to his limited role at the Bernabeu. But that’s essentially ruled out by the Spaniard’s ‘statement’ – currently, he’s only considering a move at the end of the season, rather than the January transfer window.

Here’s a look at how Isco compared to Arsenal, City and Spurs’ attacking midfield options last season, courtesy of Squawka: