Real Madrid joins Manchester City in race to sign £30m-rated Malaga playmaker Isco

Real Madrid are set to battle Manchester City for £30million midfield star Isco.

City want the Malaga playmaker to follow incoming boss Manuel Pellegrini to the Etihad in the summer.

But the dethroned Premier League champions have a fight on their hands after Real declared an interest.

Malaga director Francisco Aguilar said: “Real Madrid are interested in signing Isco, but nothing is official yet.

“It fills us with pride that a lad who has come through at Malaga has become the player that he is now.

“If he leaves Malaga it will be to a big club and it will be to the benefit of the coffers at Malaga.”

Isco’s current deal runs until 2016 but he has a £30million exit clause in his contract.

And Aguilar added: “Clubs that want him will have to meet his buy-out clause.”