Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest on Isco Sale Rumours

Real Madrid star Isco is reportedly set to be the subject of interest from Arsenal, Juventus and Manchester City in January, with the Gunners reportedly in the lead to land the Spaniard.

According to Manuel Esteban of Spanish newspaper AS (h/t Metro's Will Giles), Arsenal are ahead of their Premier League rivals and the Serie A side and could be set to sign Isco for £33.8 million in the January transfer window.

The Spaniard has been in solid form this season, with three goals and six assists to his name thus far in all competitions, following an impressive haul of six and 11 respectively last year.

Spanish football expert Sergi Dominguez is a fan of the 23-year-old:

The technically gifted playmaker is an impressive dribbler and an incisive passer, as WhoScored.com demonstrates:

Arsenal already boast the likes of Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla, but with the latter soon to turn 31 and the Gunners often struggling to name their best XI due to their perennial injury crises, a long-term replacement for Cazorla and further depth in midfield would be useful.

Kerstin Joensson/Associated Press

For the Bianconeri, Isco would take some of the creative pressure off Paul Pogba and indeed help replace him when the Frenchman inevitably makes a big-money move elsewhere.

City seem the least likely, given they spent over £100 million on Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne in the summer to line up alongside David Silva. 

However, per the above reports, the reason Isco would seemingly favour Arsenal is because he is "keen to play regularly in the run-up to the European Championships in Paris next summer."

While Isco has often struggled to nail down a starting berth at the Bernabeu in the past, under Real manager Rafa Benitez he has enjoyed regular place in the team, starting in 15 of his 19 appearances—though he has completed just six of those.

Given that he's been a regular fixture for Los Blancos thus far, a move this January doesn't seem likely. The Spaniard has been often underused in his Real Madrid career and in the future that could well see him push for an exit from the club, but not at this moment in time.