PIF plotting NUFC bid for £211k-p/w target who terrified Verratti, imagine him & ASM - opinion

Newcastle United have been linked with a move for former Real Madrid midfielder Isco.

According to a recent report from AS (via Sport Witness), Newcastle are battling Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma to secure the Spaniard’s signature this summer following his exit from the Bernabeu.

After scoring 17 goals and delivering 12 assists in 84 appearances for Malaga, the midfielder joined Los Blancos during the 2013 summer transfer window.

In 352 appearances across all competitions for Real Madrid, the 30-year-old ended up scoring 53 goals, delivering 56 assists and winning numerous trophies including five Champions League titles.

Since the start of the 2017/18 La Liga campaign, Isco – who was picking up a hefty wage of £211k-per-week at the Bernabeu – has racked up 258 shot-creating actions and 150 successful dribbles in the Spanish top flight.

This shows just how creative and tricky player he is for opponents to face and illustrates what he could offer to the Toon should he find himself at St James’ Park this summer.

In fact, when Spain beat Italy 3-0 in a World Cup qualifier in 2017, the Azzurri’s Marco Verratti got a clear picture of how impressive Isco can be.

After that emphatic result, the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder said: “I suffered a lot against Isco. I was taken aback by his performance. Not even [Lionel] Messi has come close to that level. When I saw his nutmeg, I felt like standing up and applauding too.”

Bearing in mind how Newcastle ended their previous Premier League campaign with fewer shot-creating actions (653) than the likes of Southampton (732), Leeds United (711) and Everton (667), adding a player like Isco to their ranks could be just what Eddie Howe needs in order to make his side a bit more dynamic going