According to reports, Arsenal are exploring a potential loan deal for Real Madrid star Isco in the January transfer window.

What's the story?

Mikel Arteta's side have struggled this season in the absence of a creative spark, particularly with the Gunners manager leaving out Mesut Ozil from his Premier League squad - the north London side have managed just 16 goals in 16 league games.

Now, Goal claim that Arsenal's priority in the January transfer window will be to secure an attacking midfielder, with Spain international Isco a target.

The report adds that loan deals are likely to be the way forward for the Gunners this month, and that with the European Championships coming up, Isco is "keen to leave to get more regular minutes during the second half of the campaign".

No better than Ozil

If this was a few years ago, when Isco was a rising star, then Arsenal should absolutely be all over it.

But the sad fact is that the Spaniard is just nowhere near those kinds of standards anymore, and his lack of game-time at Madrid is a testament to just how low his stock has fallen.

He has yet to complete the 90 minutes in any of Zinedine Zidane's side's games this season, and has managed no goals whatsoever and provided just one assist.

It is a far cry from a few years ago, when international football journalist Peter Staunton declared Isco a "100 times better than Ozil" in a Transfer Talk episode.

Both Isco and Ozil are outcasts at their respective clubs, and just what sense would it make for Arsenal to go after another declining, highly-paid (the former earns around £230k-a-week) star? The Gunners simply have to steer clear.