Real Madrid showed significant interest in Argentinian striker Mauro Icardi while he was still at Inter Milan, but rumors blocked a move to Spain on two occasions.
No matter what he does or where he goes, Mauro Icardi seems to be plagued with outrageous drama that upsets those around him. This includes teammates, coaches, board members, and the media as well.
When rumors began to swirl that Real Madrid was in the market for the Argentinian striker in January 2017, everyone was a bit skeptical. Despite his great goal scoring record in Serie A that season – 24 goals and 8 assists in 34 appearances – fans were simply not on board with the idea.
The problem wasn’t his play style or his production on the field, it was his behavior behind the scenes and his agent, wife Wanda Nara’s, dealings with Inter Milan which scared president Florentino Perez and the Real Madrid board away.
Perez, along with Jose Angel Sanchez, and Zinedine Zidane met with Wanda Nara and Icardi in Abu Dhabi shortly after the FIFA Club World Cup fully intent on signing the in striker with Karim Benzema’s goal output slacking.
When the media caught wind of this meeting, things changed. President Perez was more in favor of signing Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and keeping a good relationship going with Athletic Bilbao, according to Marca, which postponed the Icardi dealings for the January transfer window.
12 months later, the Real Madrid higher ups met again to discuss a price for Icardi. But, leaks and reports around Europe played a huge factor in derailing this deal. Luckily for Real Madrid, the deal was called off shortly before Icardi was stripped of the captaincy at Inter and his agent/wife Wanda Nara openly criticized the coaches and board members.
Some pegged Mauro Icardi to be the next Galactico striker at Real Madrid, but, this entire story proves that talent is not everything in the world of football. Public perception and public image weigh heavily on whether a player is worth €100 million or not.
Based off of the research I have done on the topic and what I have seen from Icardi and his wife, it is a very good thing Real Madrid did not sign the striker. Drama in the locker room and with a player’s agent affects performances in matches and on the training ground.
It makes far more sense seeing Mauro Icardi play for Paris Saint-Germain than it does for Real Madrid. The standards in the Spanish capital are always high, and to put it simply, Icardi does not meet that high standard.