Real Madrid playmaker Isco is on the road to greatness [VIDEO]

At just 22, Real Madrid’s Isco is already rapidly climbing the ladder to become one of the best midfielders on the planet.  While his rise certainly isn’t a shock considering his €30 million move to Los Blancos in 2013, Isco still seems to be flying under the radar a bit.

Personally, I was a little shocked when I found out that the underrated Spanish star did not make his country’s final roster for the 2014 World Cup last summer.  Yes, Spain currently has a plethora of talented midfielders (Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, Cesc Fabregas, David Silva, Santi Cazorla, Koke etc.), however, after watching the La Furia Roja struggle to find the back of the net and quickly bow out of the tournament, surely Isco could have contributed something creative to the 2010 World Cup and 2012 European champions.

Speaking of creativity, Isco is currently fifth in La Liga with eight assists, despite only starting a total of 18 league matches for Real Madrid so far this season.  The former Malaga star is also third in the league in dribbles per game (2.7) and sixth in La Liga in through balls per game (0.3).

The Spaniard’s style of play is sort of a mix between Barcelona’s Iniesta and Chelsea’s Eden Hazard.  While, obviously, Isco is not quite to the level of play as Iniesta in his prime or Hazard just yet, he is on his way to becoming a superstar in the near future.

Although Isco certainly has the skill set, he seems to get overlooked by many pundits.  BeIN Sports recently published an article declaring the 25 best soccer players under 25 in the world.  Isco did not make the cut.  Interestingly enough, while the talented Real Madrid midfielder was not chosen in the piece, Stoke City’s Victor Moses and Schalke’s Julian Draxler did make the list.

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While some pundits overlook Isco, the young Spaniard certainly has his supporters inside of the club.  Real Madrid’s goalkeeper and current club captain Iker Casillas recently called Isco, “the most important Spanish player of the future”.

Spanish journalist Juanma Trueba also praised Isco following his Man of the Match performance against Elche last month.  Trueba stated, “Isco, with a beautiful assist for the second goal, also deserves his own paragraph.  His ability to mix the beautiful with the useful is unique.  The fluid and attractive play always leads to something, it is not just for show.  Madrid have a player who has plenty of strings to his bow.  The ovation Isco received when he was substituted said it all.”

Despite Isco’s upside, the 22-year-old’s name has been surfacing in the transfer rumors as of late.  With Real Madrid having a fairly crowded midfield at the moment, some are suggesting that Isco may be the one to move on to receive more playing time elsewhere.

Real’s front three of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale is set in stone, and a midfield of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and James Rodriguez seems to be manager Carlo Ancelotti’s preferred starting group.

If in fact Isco was to leave the Bernabeu, there will be plenty of suitors for the superstar in the making.  Premier League trio Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City have previously been rumored to be interested in signing Isco on a permanent deal.  Wherever the Spain international applies his trade in the upcoming years, the future looks bright for Isco.