Manchester City hope to wrap up Isco deal

Manchester: Manchester City hope to complete a £21 million (Dh119 million) deal for Malaga midfielder Isco this weekend.

There were fears Real Madrid could hijack the transfer, and City were said to have grown increasingly concerned that the player seemed undecided.

But the 21-year-old looks to have chosen Manchester and indicated on Thursday that a deal could be tied up soon. “I prefer not to comment about my future but the matter could be closed this Sunday,” Isco said.

The chance to work with new City boss Manuel Pellegrini, his coach at Malaga for the last two years, was a deciding factor in Isco’s decision.

So too was his belief that he would have a greater chance of first-team football at City rather than Madrid, where Mesut Ozil, Luka Modric, Kaka and Angel Di Maria would be competition.

Malaga gave permission for him to speak to City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain, who persuaded Isco to move the Premier League.

The deal would follow the signings of Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fernandinho and Sevilla winger Jesus Navas.