Barcelona are looking to beat Chelsea and Manchester City in the hunt for Real Madrid's Isco and want to sign the Spaniard on a free transfer, Goal reports.

What's the word?

Still just 24, it feels like Isco has been around for decades now but the Spaniard has never quite managed to fit in properly at Real Madrid following his arrival from Malaga in 2013- as he's faced a major battle for regular first-team opportunities.

The experienced midfielder has regularly been linked with an exit from the Santiago Bernabeu and a move could materialise this summer, as Isco's deal will enter it's final year- with Premier League sides like Manchester City and Chelsea on alert.

However, surprise rival interest could emerge from Barcelona, report Goal, who are aware that Real Madrid would refuse a sale- but will sneakily look to persuade Isco to snub fresh terms with Los Blancos and move to Catalonia in 2018 for free.

Could it happen?

It's certainly possible, although the 2018 World Cup could play into the hands of interested Premier League side's as they'd be able to offer first-team football that's unlikely to come Isco's way at Real Madrid- thus improving his standing in the Spain set-up.

Isco will feel he has something to prove in La Liga though and the promise of becoming the heir to Andres Iniesta at the Nou Camp will be extremely difficult to turn down- as will the opportunity to play alongside the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.

For Barcelona, it would see the Catalan side stick a middle finger up to Real Madrid and Florentino Perez in particular, with a potential move echoing a similar transfer in 1998 for Luis Enrique and seeing Barcelona get revenge for Real's alleged approaches to Neymar, Andres Iniesta and Luis Suarez.

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