Everton have been linked to Isco back and forth in the past few days. The Toffees failed to sign a single player in the winter transfer window and now have to scour the free agent market if they wish to sign a player to reinforce their squad.
Sean Dyche had no option but to make the best out of this squad and hope that Everton can find a competent option in the free agent market. The Merseysiders did open talks with former West Ham United forward Andre Ayew who was a free agent. The 33 year old jetted to the United Kingdom to hold talks with Nottingham Forest and Everton.
In the end, the Ghanaian ended up signing for Forest. The Toffees also looked at Isco as an option as reports from Spain stated that the former Real Madrid midfielder was being evaluated by the Merseysiders.
Isco terminated his contract with Sevilla in December and has been on the lookout for a new club since then. The Spaniard came incredibly close to joining Union Berlin on a free transfer but the move fell through in the final stages because Isco’s agent reportedly changed some aspects of the deal.
Everton face competition from AS Roma for Isco
The 30 year old does remain open to a move to Goodison Park although a concrete offer has not arrived on Isco’s table from Everton. The five time UEFA Champions League winner also offered himself to Serie A outfit Juventus but the Bianconeri were unconvinced by Isco and decided not to sign the playmaker.
Isco has also been linked to Turkey with the Konyaspor president claiming that talks have been ongoing between the club and the player’s entourage. According to Sport Italia, Isco is still in sights of Everton but the Toffees are set to face competition from AS Roma for the 30 year old.
The former Sevilla man has emerged as a late target for Jose Mourinho’s side as Nicolo Zaniolo is headed to Galatasaray. Roma are showing interest and their sporting director Tiago Pinto could soon look into the conditions of signing Isco on a free transfer.
The Merseysiders are yet to make any formal offers for the Spanish midfielder though the player remains open to the idea of playing in the Premier League. Another thing to consider is compatibility.
Dyche’s system is physically draining and often demands midfielders to run up and down the field and put pressure to win duels. Isco has never been a physically adept midfielder but instead uses his brain and excellent vision to create spaces and thread through balls. He surely does add a different dimension to Everton’s attack but his role could be limited under Dyche.
Could Isco be an important player in Dyche’s system?