Liverpool Transfer News: Isco Interest Reported Amid Real Madrid Exit Rumours

Real Madrid's loss could be Liverpool's gain next year following speculation midfield maestro Isco has asked to leave the Bernabeu, with the Premier League as a preferred destination.  

Spanish outlet Fichajes reported a request has been made to Real President Florentino Perez in the hopes Isco can secure a "change of scenery," and the Reds may be only too happy to oblige (via the Daily Star's James Walters).

Michel Euler/Associated Press

The Spain international has started in seven of his nine La Liga appearances so far this season as new manager Rafa Benitez has chosen to utilise Isco's talents in a rotation with his other creative assets.

However, Spanish football writer Sergi Dominguez believes it's only a matter of time before Los Blancos' squad is returned to full health and Isco once again becomes a secondary option:

The 23-year-old endured a sometimes difficult campaign under Carlo Ancelotti last season, and despite being a crowd favourite in Madrid, he has struggled to tie down his place alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

Alejandro Alcazar of Spanish newspaper Sport recently voiced a concern that the rise of players like Jese Rodriguez and Lucas Vazquez may eventually see Isco and Gareth Bale discarded altogether.

But while there may not be space in Benitez's XI for the player, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp would surely find a way to accommodate Isco, especially given the Reds' scoring woes of late.

Philippe Coutinho has failed to recapture the kind of form that saw him claim the club's Players' Player of the Year award last season, and ESPN FC's Alex Shaw recently poked fun at Liverpool's scoring form at his expense:

The summer arrival of Mateo Kovacic has only increased competition for playing time in the attacking midfield area, and although Isco has been heavily involved this term, he's played the full 90 minutes in just three of his 12 games.

Some Madridistas will find it pleasing to see fringe figures such as Jese and Vazquez given their chance in the starting team, although Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC saw it as a shock twist for Benitez:

Coutinho was largely regarded as incapable of doing any wrong at Anfield, but a struggle for form this season may see the club seek alternatives among their playmaking ranks.

Isco's alleged wantaway attitude will certainly make any negotiations that much smoother, but the £35 million price tag quoted alongside his name would still pose a problem for the Merseysiders.