Real Madrid don’t need a star striker, but they continue to be linked to some of the best No. 9s in the world in Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang and Mauro Icardi.
PSG took a gamble on Mauro Icardi’s talent this summer, adding him to top-three players Kylian Mbappe and Neymar to create one of the most deadly attacks ever seen. And that’s not even accounting for Angel Di Maria, who has arguably been better than even those three players.
Real Madrid have been loosely linked to Icardi before, but it seems more like his wife and agent Wanda Nara is the one trying to strum up interest. That’s either because this is a dream move, or she’s trying to get some leverage out of PSG or another club.
According to a report from FCInterNews.it, Icardi could be headed for a major return to Serie A. But if he does, it would be to AC Milan, who have just reunited with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and it wouldn’t be with Inter. Because that bridge has already burned – and it probably burned twice.
Another interesting aspect of the report is the mention of Real Madrid’s interest. Los Blancos have reportedly been asking for information related to Icardi’s contract with PSG and have been monitoring the situation, suggesting the earlier rumors linking Icardi to Real had more legs than initially thought.
If Real have interest in Icardi, then that could be more of an issue for PSG than interest from Serie A candidates. It is extremely difficult for players to resist interest from Los Blancos, and it’s arguably even more difficult for clubs to resist Florentino Perez when the player wants a move to La Liga’s powerhouse.
But with Karim Benzema playing so well, concerns (whether fair or unfair) about Icardi in the locker room, and Luka Jovic having the potential to be a world-class No. 9 at the Bernabeu, the interest in Icardi seems more like due diligence than anything else. Stay tuned for more, but don’t worry about a deal happening if Icardi isn’t your guy. And if you want a player with more goals (9) than starts (8) who is just 26, don’t get your hopes up either. Real are saving up that money for an even better player from PSG in Kylian Mbappe.