Arsenal Transfer News: Isco Tops January Shortlist, Latest Gunners Rumours

Arsenal have reportedly made Real Madrid’s Isco their top target in the January transfer window, as manager Arsene Wenger looks to bolster his squad for a crack at the Premier League title.

That’s according to Fichajes.net (h/t Mark Brus of Metro), which claim Isco, rated at £33 million, could follow the same path as Mesut Ozil from Madrid to London given his struggle to cement a spot in the Los Blancos starting XI. Here’s a look at why the Spain international is rated as one of the top young playmakers in world football:

There’s little doubt Isco has all the qualities to slot straight into the Arsenal team. Technically, he’s as good as it gets, plus the 23-year-old is a tremendous dribbler, an incisive passer and a midfielder who always seems to have time on the ball in the attacking third.

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As we can see here courtesy of WhoScored.com, those qualities allow Isco to create a lot of clear-cut chances for his team-mates:

There are plenty of obstacles that are likely to prevent this deal coming to fruition, though. After all, while Isco probably doesn’t get into the best Real Madrid starting XI, should any of Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale or James Rodriguez miss out, he’s usually the man to step in.

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So, while Brus pointed to the fact that Isco has only played a full 90 minutes on two occasions for Real this season, he’s featured in all eight of Real Madrid’s La Liga matches so far, starting seven of them.

However, Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC, suggested new manager Rafael Benitez may have a few inhibitions when it comes to the former Malaga man:

Isco is still a young player and provided he continues to make regular appearances in the team, his end product will get better and better. Arsenal, while they would be landing a supreme talent in Isco, aren’t really in desperate need of a player of his particular skill set anyway.

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Indeed, in Mesut Ozil they have a creator extraordinaire already and while the Gunners playmaker is a few shades removed from Isco in style, Arsenal have an embarrassment of options when it comes to attacking midfielders, including the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott, Santi Cazorla and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

As Copa90 relayed here, Ozil and Alexis have been linking up tremendously in the early stages of the season for the Gunners:

Isco seems to be content with life at Real Madrid at the moment, and as he continues to put in quality displays, the midfielder is pushing himself closer and closer to becoming a regular first-team player. Even so, with a lot of games to negotiate for Los Blancos in the coming months, he’s sure to secure plenty of minutes on the field.

For Arsenal, getting the former Malaga man in would be a coup; he’s a player who would cost a lot of money and would add another intricate facet to the Gunners’ attack. Wenger needs to address other more pertinent concerns within his squad before he launches an indulgent pursuit of Isco, though.