Malaga’s Isco set for Santiago Bernabeu deal.
Real Madrid have beaten Manchester City to the signing of Malaga starlet Isco, according to Spanish daily Marca.
The 21-year-old will be Carlo Ancelotti’s first signing as Real head-coach, with Los Blancos paying €24m (£20.5m) with a further €3m (£2.5m) potentially coming in performance-related adds-on.
Marca claims Real finally reached an agreement with their La Liga counterparts on Saturday, after Malaga’s vice-president Moayad Shatat met with Los Blancos director Jose Angel Sanchez.
The Andalusion club surprising agreed to reduce Isco’s €35m (£29m) buy-out clause but Real refused to allow promising youngsters Alvaro Morata, Jose Callejon or Jese Rodriguez to move to La Rosaleda.
City’s new boss Manuel Pellegrini was Isco’s manager at Malaga last term and the Chilean was desperate to bring the youngster with him to the Etihad Stadium.
The Premier League runners-up looked in pole position to land Isco, when the playmaker described Pellegrini as his ‘footballing father’ but the player is set to remain in Spain with Real.
Isco enjoyed a fine campaign in both the Champions League and La Liga for Malaga last season, netting 12 goals in the two competitions.
The attacking midfielder was also crucial in Spain under-21’s recent European Championship victory in Israel, scoring three goals in five appearances.
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