Mauro Icardi seeks to shut down Inter Milan exit rumours
Mauro Icardi says he is determined to remain at Inter Milan beyond this season.
The 26-year-old Argentine marksman has endured a difficult 2018/19 campaign which subsequently led to reports of a potential summer departure.
Icardi’s tough season: Five things to know…
- Icardi has featured in 27 of Inter’s 36 Serie A outings to date.
- The Rosario-born striker has scored 10 league goals and created a further four.
- A decision midway through the season was made to strip Icardi of the club captaincy.
- It coincided with him struggling with a knee injury and dispute over a new contract.
- Icardi’s present deal in Milan expires on June 2021.
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Heading into the season as captain, that honour was taken off him earlier this year following comments made by his wife and agent, Wanda Nara, on Italian television. Goalkeeper Samir Handanovic later assumed the armband.
He’d subsequently refused to feature in their Europa League match against Rapid Wien, a match they’d win 0-1 in the Austrian capital. This demotion coincided with Icardi struggling with a troublesome knee injury, as well as discussing a new contract.
With tension between the player and club intensifying, many felt this would be his final season in Milan; there’s no shortage of admirers with the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United heavily linked in recent months.
However, as far as Icardi is concerned, he’s staying. So far this season, across 35 matches in all competitions, he’s bagged 16 goals and five assists. Icardi, knowing full well of the speculation, has shot those reports down, stressing he’s committed more than ever to the Nerazzurri cause.
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“Because recently the media have reported news that does not reflect my thoughts, I want to inform our fans that I have repeatedly informed Inter about my will to remain with the club,” he wrote on Instagram.
“Hopefully now there will be no more misunderstandings. I understand the interests of the press in selling fake news so I would rather clarify things personally.
“I have already expressed the will to stay because Inter is my family. Time will reveal who is speaking the truth. Forza Inter, always.”
Inter’s beast
Since joining from Sampdoria in 2013, no one has been more lethal for Inter during that period. Across 217 matches in all competitions, Icardi has bagged 123 goals which puts him among the club’s top 10 all-time goalscorers. Icardi, currently joint-eighth with Christian Vieri, has got a long way to go before touching Giuseppe Meazza who registered a mighty 248 goals.
With two Serie A games remaining this season – Napoli away (May 19) and Empoli home (May 25) – he potentially has 180 more minutes to add to his total.
