Why Real Madrid Would Be Wrong to Consider Selling Isco

Encased inside a catastrophic evening, his contribution had been almost as disastrous. In the 55th minute, he'd come on at the height of the carnage; in the 84th, he departed with the carnage complete. In that time, he'd done little—just like all those in white around him—the most notable use of his boot coming when he attempted to give Neymar's knee a new postcode. 

In the bigger picture, the use of that boot had barely mattered, but as an act, it was impetuous. Some said petulant. Others said cowardly, suggesting that it was an easy way out. And yet, the Santiago Bernabeu chanted his name anyway. 

As he left the pitch with Real Madrid trailing Barcelona 4-0, "Isco, Isco, Isco" rang around the stands, his red card getting the only ovation for the home side all evening. It seemed counter-intuitive, but there was also something to it. "At least someone had done something, they seemed to be saying," said the Guardian's match report. 

And that was essentially the point: Though it was wrong and though it was rash, Isco showed he cared—that this hurt him, that it cut deep. 

In an understandable way, the Bernabeu appreciated it. It appreciated him.

Just as it often has. 

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Indeed, for those who populate the arena in Chamartin, what has endeared Isco to them has been the passion he embodies. Happy to play anywhere and not bothered by the task required of him, the 23-year-old has a commitment that barely wavers; he just gets on with it in a manner that has an admirable quality to it. Last season, he played in almost every position possible; this season, he's done similar. 

Thus, Isco has taken on a sort of 12th-man existence at Real Madrid: Whenever and wherever there's a gap to be filled, he fills it. Admittedly, it's not the sort of existence he craves, but even stuck in it, he's managed to largely thrive and win over the Bernabeu because of a work ethic and character that's not a given for a player of his type. 

As a No. 10 by trade, his ball control and technical proficiency are expected, but what Isco has often added to that is a dedication to scurrying back as hard as he does forward and to winning the ball with the same intensity as he plays with it.

Essentially, his is a two-way commitment, and though he isn't without his flaws—his habit for over-dribbling is at times problematic, and he lacks the dynamic athleticism that fits Madrid's powerful profile—such qualities shouldn't be discarded in a team where they aren't always evidently abundant. 

Particularly when those qualities belong to a player who's just 23 (the same age, remember, as the now-salivated-over Sergi Roberto at Barcelona) and on the upswing in his career. A player who, with time, will only get better. 

What's more, circumstances could soon change for his benefit, too. 

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Following Saturday's Clasico mauling and the lingering feeling of institutional tension, Real Madrid are almost certainly approaching yet another period of upheaval in the coming 12 months.

Amid that, manager Rafa Benitez is expected to be a major casualty—the Madrileno, regardless of what he does, is fighting a battle that borders on impossible, the difficulty of the situation he's in conditioned almost entirely by the man who hired him—while there's an ever-increasing sense that the team's current superstar core will be disturbed.

It can't continue this way; the dynamic isn't right.

Change will come.  

As a club, such a process will be difficult to navigate, the obstacles abundant, but on a personal level, it could be just what Isco needs. 

Indeed, under Benitez, the former Malaga star was always expected to endure some struggles. More technical than powerful, Isco isn't cut in the Benitez mould, the structure of the manager's team not exactly set for the Spaniard's skill set.

But as alluded to, such a situation might not be in place for long. Isco, whether it be in six or 12 months, could soon have a chance to impress a new manager, and it's important that Madrid don't allow the playmaker to depart before seeing whether he'll complement a new direction at the Bernabeu. 

Additionally, the squad turnover that might occur simultaneously could easily present opportunities for Isco to carve out a new role himself. He's always filled temporary holes, but more permanent ones could soon exist. 

In that respect, his versatility is an important commodity in future planning. So is his passion. So is the regard he's held in at the Bernabeu. 

When you combine all that in a player who's still only in the infancy of his career, you've got a guy worth hanging on to.