Real Madrid have reportedly been handed a transfer boost courtesy of Lionel Messi, after the Barcelona superstar urged his side not to sign one of Europe’s top strikers.
There’s no denying that Mauro Icardi, 25, is one of the top marksman in Europe, having scored 22 goals in 26 appearances for Inter so far this season.
That’s a continuation of an impressive goalscoring record since he moved to the San Siro in 2013, and so the talent is undoubtedly there.
However, as per Diario Gol, as re-reported by The Express, with Messi previously concerned that he could replace Luis Suarez, he shut the door on a possible move to the Nou Camp in 2016.
In turn, Barcelona’s loss could be Real Madrid’s gain as Icardi is said to have expressed a desire to move to the Spanish capital, although the report suggests that there is conflict over the signing at the Bernabeu too as while Florentino Perez is keen, senior players at Madrid have concerns over his personality.
It’s unclear as to how accurate those claims are, but what is obvious is that Los Blancos need to address their issue up front with Karim Benzema.
The Frenchman is often praised for the important role that he plays up top which allows Cristiano Ronaldo to flourish and in turn has led to plenty of success for Madrid in recent seasons.
However, there’s no getting away from the fact that the 30-year-old has scored just eight goals in 34 appearances in all competitions, and so surely that can’t be deemed good enough with the club pursuing major honours on various fronts.
In turn, Icardi would arguably solve that issue as he has shown a better clinical edge in front of goal, but whether or not the Argentine ace would be able to provide that balance in the attacking third coupled with reported reservations over his personality, there seem to be doubts at the Bernabeu over him.
From a football perspective, he’s surely a great addition for Zinedine Zidane, even if Messi is reportedly unwilling to give the green light to his compatriot to join Barcelona.