Isco to Manchester City or Chelsea: Out of favour Real Madrid forward also has Juventus on high alert

The Spanish international could be on the move to the Premier League despite this week's sacking of Rafa Benitez

Real Madrid's Isco has not started a league game since the beginning of November (GETTY IMAGES)

Highly-rated forward Isco has placed a number of Europe’s top clubs on high alert after it was reported that he is ready to end his two-and-a-half year stay at Real Madrid.

According to the Daily Express, the Spanish international has found himself an outcast at the Bernabeu this season under the management of Rafa Benitez, and could now be on the verge of joining Manchester City, Chelsea or Juventus in a deal worth close to £26m.

Despite the sacking of Benitez on Monday and the instalment of Zinedine Zidane, it is understood that Isco remains keen to move on from the Spanish capital in order to cement his place in the national side ahead of this summer’s European Championships in France.

Isco has featured just 13 times for Madrid in La Liga this season, scoring once, and was sent off only 29 minutes after coming on as a substitute in November’s El Clasico humiliation, the 4-0 home defeat to Barcelona.

Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini knows the 23-year-old well, having nurtured his development at Malaga, and would like to bring him to the Etihad Stadium on loan this month with a view to a permanent move in the close season.

Stamford Bridge, meanwhile, remains another potential Premier League destination for Isco, where he could join up with Spanish teammates Cesc Fabregas, Cesar Azpilicueta, Diego Costa and Pedro, but Chelsea’s only enquiry so far amounts to a deal at the end of the current season.

Therefore, it is the Italian champions Juventus who are considered to be in pole position to sign the player, having supposedly contacted Madrid this week with an offer of €35m.

The player joined Los Blancos in 2013 in a €30m deal, and has been capped by his country on 11 occasions.