Mauro Icardi is expected to be one of the most sought after players in Europe this summer, but Inter Milan are confident of retaining his services.
The 22-year-old has emerged as one of the most exciting talents around, having established himself as one of the first names in Roberto Mancini’s starting XI. Indeed, only goalkeeper Samir Handanovic and midfielder Gary Medel have started more times in Serie A, and nobody comes close to his haul of 19 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions for the San Siro outfit.
This has led to speculation linking Icardi with a big-money transfer during the summer window, with Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur said to be keen on luring him to the Premier League. However, Inter vice-president Javier Zanetti has revealed that the club are in talks with the former Sampdoria youngster over a new contract, and are close to reaching an agreement.
“We’re very close to a renewal, he’s doing really well and will be very important for us in the future,” said Zanetti. “We’ve reaffirmed our intention of keeping him here. We’re building a new team, with a lot of young players who are supported in difficult times. We have to think about the good of the club to become competitive again and bring the club back to where it belongs in the table.”
The Argentina international, who has one cap, began his career in Spain with the Vecindario youth team, where he earned the attention of Barcelona. After spending three years with the Catalan giants he decided he needed to move on to gain a better chance of regular first team football, and he found this at Sampdoria where his performances saw him move to Inter in 2013.
Even if Mauro Icardi signs a new contract, would Inter be tempted to cash in on his signature should a huge bid arrive from the Premier League?
