Betis and Isco Alarcón have an agreement close for the Malaga midfielder to land in Heliopolis, subject to the Verdiblancos entering the Champions League and/or managing to make more than one big sale during the next summer market. Isco is offered two campaigns plus an optional one, to more than 10 million euros gross per campaign, in an operation that in principle will exceed 20 million of euros. The figure includes an important signing premium and the salary of the player from Arroyo de la Miel will be the highest that any footballer has ever received at Benito Villamarín.
Besides of defensive midfielder Guido Rodríguez, for which there is strong interest from the Premier League, the clearest possible sale right now at Betis is that of Nabil Fekir although the French renewed a few dates ago until 2026. At the moment, yes, none of the offers appeared by Heliópolis satisfied the board, which last year expected some proposal more than 40 million euros that did not end up arriving.
Fekir’s annual amortization is similar to what Isco would cost and the position in which he plays is similar, so the natural thing is to change one footballer for another. Pellegrini has always preferred associative footballers like the man from Malaga. A few days ago, in El Larguero, the Chilean coach complained about the French player’s desire to keep the ball many times instead of combining with his teammates.
If confirmed in the coming weeks, Isco It would become the third signing made by Betis for the 2022-23 campaign. It has already closed the incorporations of the Brazilians Luiz Felipe and Luiz Henrique. The first, a 25-year-old central defender, arrives free from Lazio and the second is a left-handed winger who has stood out at Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro and for whom the Verdiblancos will pay around 13 million euros. Bravo, Guardado and Joaquín ended their contract in June but will continue in the Pellegrini template.