Mauro Icardi to Arsenal: Gunners linked with Inter Milan captain, but is it the right move for all parties?

"Icardi is not part of the football family"

When Diego Maradona is morally chastising you, you must have really pushed the limits of human decency but 22-year-old striker Mauro Icardi is well used to such outspoken opinions on him and even after partaking in a charity match for world peace in 2014, the legendary Argentina number 10 could not let us forget of Icardi's past misdemeanors. His rather lurid personal life played out in the tabloids somewhat distracts from his unquestionable talent but after a coming of age season with a struggling Inter Milan side last term, Icardi now finds himself at something of a crossroads. If reports are to be believed Arsene Wenger's Arsenal are preparing a huge January offer but will Roberto Mancini allow his captain and leading scorer to leave the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza?

With the transfer window around the corner, the rumour mill is in full flow and one potential mega-deal that appears to be gathering pace is Arsenal's pursuit of Icardi. The perceived lack of a world class centre-forward has for some time been a shortcoming of Wenger's title hopefuls but according to reports, the Gunners failed in an attempt to lure the Argentine to the Emirates last summer. Rebuffed by Inter with a bid in the region of £30 million, Arsenal could reignite their interest to boost their Premier League challenge.

In light of the stories, sources at Inter informed ESPN FC this week that they have no intention of selling Icardi at this stage of the season. With Juventus' hopes of defending the Scudetto appearing slim, Roberto Mancini's Inter are realistic title contenders. After being appointed club captain in the summer following a season in which the 22-year-old became the youngest capocannoniere (top goal scorer) in the Serie A since Paolo Rossi in 1978, Icardi is invaluable to Inter.

However, there may be a glimmer of hope for Icardi's suitors; Mancini's conservative tactics could be seen to stifle the forward's appetite for goals and surprisingly against Roma, the Italian opted not to select the forward for tactical reasons. Only four goals to his name might seem like a modest return but it still makes Icardi the club's leading scorer with almost a quarter of their total league goals. A point not lost on Icardi, who told Sky Sport Italia earlier this month: “I’m a striker and I can only score if the ball gets to me. In 10 games I received four decent passes and scored three goals. That seems like a good average to me.”

open image in gallery

Might this push Icardi toward the exit door? Well, that conclusion would be presumptive in the extreme given that the youngster is captain, adored by the supporters and still in contention for a first Serie A title. Inter will be all too aware that Icardi represents their most lucrative asset but barring an absolutely eye-watering offer, a mid-season sale would surely be destabilising.

Inter, therefore, would be excused to delay such a significant decision until the end of the season but make no mistake, the self-assured Icardi would have no qualms with pushing ahead with what he perceives best for his personal progression. After all, the Argentine has form; few youngsters snapped up by Barcelona's famous La Masia would actively seek a move away from the Camp Nou but Icardi did just that in 2011. With his path to the Barca first team blocked, the then 18-year-old Icardi opted to join Sampdoria on loan and immediately impressed the Blucerchiati hierarchy.

The transfer was swiftly made permanent for €400,000 and in his first full season in the Sampdoria first team it was clear that the Serie A side had pulled off an enormous coup. Looking back on the transfer, Icardi said in 2013: “If a youngster wants to grow, certain decisions have to be made. At the time, I spoke about it with my father and we decided to move to Italy. Fortunately things turned out well”.

If Icardi is unafraid to make big decisions, he cares even less what other people think about his choices. It is his marriage to Wanda Nara, the ex-wife of his former Sampdoria teammate Maxi Lopez, which prompted Maradona's outburst and between the glut of photos on Twitter and his tattoos of her children with Lopez, Icardi has managed to put a lot of people off. Some might be concerned by this public image but Icardi doesn't appear to give it a second thought - Inter still made him club captain and wife, Wanda is now reportedly working as his agent. Mauro told Inter Channel in October when quizzed on his behaviour in October: “I do what I want and don’t care about the others.”

This rather complicated personal life would not put off suitors and Chelsea, Liverpool and Real Madrid have all joined Arsenal with a reported interest. This arguably may have hindered his Argentina career but European club sides would not be perturbed. It is easy to forget that Icardi is still just 22 given the amount of headlines he has generated but there are very few players at this age, shouldering the burden of the number nine shirt and goalscoring duties for one of Europe's elite clubs. 27 goals in all competitions last season for a struggling side and a strike-rate of 40 in 82 appearances point to a lethal penalty box finisher adept with both feet and his head - a commodity that all clubs yearn for.

Under contract with Inter until 2019, Icardi will cost upwards of £30 million but that should not prove too much of a stumbling block for the calibre of sides casting their eyes over the centre-forward. A possible transfer might give an indication of the ambition of Inter, Icardi or any one of those clubs and although January may come too soon, this subject can expect to be revisited come the end of the season.