Francisco Román Alarcón Suárez , commonly known as Isco, has recently made the switch from club side Malaga to La Liga giants Real Madrid.
Isco trained as a member of Valencia’s youth academy and he developed into the attacking midfield talent that is he is today.
He made his La Liga debut for Valencia on 14th November 2010, during a 2–0 win against Getafe. In this fixture he came on as a substitute for striker, Aduriz in the 70th minute of the match. He scored a total of 9 goals in the 2012/2013 season with Malaga and contributed one assist.
In July of 2011, Málaga signed Isco for a value of €6 million after his successful run with the Valencia B side. He played 32 matches with Málaga and scored 5 goals in 2011, as the club qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in its history.
On 22 of December 2011, he scored the first goal in an eventual 3–2 win against Real Madrid at La Rosaleda, leading the locals to their first victory over the all-whites in 29 years. In December of the same year, he won the Golden Boy award, beating AC Milan’s striker Stephan El Shaarawy and Atletico Madrid’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
On 17 June 2013, Isco confirmed that he had received offers from the rival club Real Madrid and Premier League moneybags Manchester City, but stated he would only make a final decision on his future after the UEFA European Under-21 Championship final. His national team won 4-2 vs Italy in Israel. Isco scored a goal in the 66th minute from a penalty kick and following his tournament performances he was voted as the Championship’s third best player, winning the Bronze Boot.
On the 26th of June 2013, Real Madrid president, Florentino Pérez confirmed that a deal worth £23 million had been reached with the player and that he would be presented to the club’s fans in the following week. The following day Isco signed a five-year contract, thus becoming the first signing of newly-appointed manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Isco will be wearing the number 23 shirt, which was worn by Mesut Özil in the 2010/2011 season. This number has also been worn De Stefano, one of the ultimate Real Madrid legends, David Beckham, from 2003 until 2007.
The young Spaniard was presented in front of 7000 fans as he became an official Real Madrid player, after rejecting Manchester City and former boss Manuel Pellegrini.
In the past two or three seasons, Real Madrid have needed a player with excellent dribbling skills and an explosive accelerated attacking midfielder who has the ability to penetrate the defense line of an opposing team.
Mesut Özil is an excellent player, at 23 years old, but he depends more on set pieces and excessive passing to break through the defence.
Ancelotti is reportedly set to change the clubs formation by adopting a more attacking style of play, similar to how he operate with Ligue 1 holders, Paris Saint Germain.
In a 4-3-3 formation; Benzema would star up-front with Di Maria and Ronaldo supporting him. Sami Khedira and Xabi Alonso would hold as defensive midfielders and Özil would occupy a more attacking role. It’s still early days for Isco and he will most likely feature as a substitute for the majority of the season.
Isco has not been signed to replace anyone, but he will become a vital member of the squad if the Real Madrid president and the board believe in him and his talent.