Why Real Madrid Are Better Off Selling Isco Than James Rodriguez This Summer

With the transfer window set to close this week, many major clubs in Europe are looking to seal one last piece of business to set themselves up for the 2016/17 season. But for Real Madrid, the most likely scenario is outgoing deals rather than any new signings.

As has been the case for much of the summer, indeed much of the time since Zinedine Zidane took over midway through last season, talk continues to centre around one of two attacking midfielders departing the Santiago Bernabeu: Isco or James Rodriguez, both of whom have struggled for game time over the last year or so.

Marca have again reported that the idea of the club is to sell one or the other, with the head coach preferring to offload Isco and James being the choice of the hierarchy. Money might be the defining factor in the end, but it’s Zidane who has the right of things in a straight one-vs.-one choice—James should be kept, and Isco should be sold.

One or the other

As last season under Zidane showed, there is little scope for Real Madrid to keep both players and ensure they are contributing to the team. While both can be in the matchday squad and come off the bench, often those will be dead minutes, simply time on the pitch when there’s little at stake other than a chance to rest and ensure the fitness of the usual starters.

With the added involvement of Marco Asensio this season after he impressed more than both James and Isco in pre-season, the attacking-midfield options at Zidane’s disposal are varied and plentiful, even with a couple of forwards out injured in the early stages of 2016/17.

Simply put, if both Isco and James remain, they’ll only play a marginal role in Real Madrid’s season, while making the decision to keep one and sell the other could feasibly force the remaining player into a much more prominent role as an irregular starter and first-sub option.

Quite aside from the on-pitch ramifications, it also means Zidane won’t be continually questioned over why he brought one on before the other. There will be no need for political substitutions—bringing one on for the last 15 minutes to avoid being seen as ignoring that player—and there will be more chance for others to be involved, including Mateo Kovacic or Mariano.

Three or four

There are different factors to consider when judging why James is the better choice than Isco to retain, and the natural starting point is tactics.

Although Zidane has favoured a 4-3-3 since …

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