Mauro Icardi's Wife Wanda Nara 'Confident' of Inter Milan Contract Renewal

Mauro Icardi's wife and agent, Wanda Nara, has said she's "confident" over her husband's contract negotiations with Inter Milan, suggesting the striker will prolong his stay with the Nerazzurri.

Real Madrid are the suitors most fervently linked with a move for Icardi, but Nara recently spoke to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Goal's Harry Sherlock) and suggested a renewal is on its way:

"I cannot foresee the future, but I can say that we like the project of the Zhang family. They want to grow and get Inter back among the great clubs.

"Mauro makes noise on the pitch, where he must make noise.

"We are all very relaxed about it. We are confident about the renewal and, when I meet the sports director at the stadium, we laugh and joke. I sometimes make the joke: every day that goes by, he is always worth more."

It seems no coincidence talks of a renewal have intensified after Icardi made a return to scoring form with four goals in the 5-0 win over Sampdoria on Sunday, including his 100th Serie A goal, via Goal:

Icardi had endured an injury setback and gone more than two months without scoring prior to that performance.

The Argentinian's current contract includes a €100 million (£87 million) release clause, but Nara didn't disclose whether a new deal would see that or Icardi's earnings increase: "But there is serenity in the air, no tension. Will the salary increase? When you renew a contract, it is done to improve the current situation. But we have not yet thought about the conditions and the figures."

La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Calciomercato.com) previously indicated Inter would offer their star striker new terms worth €7 million (£6.1 million) per year.

Silvia Recchimuzzi of Reuters (h/t MailOnline) reported in October 2016 that Icardi earns "close to £5 million" per year, which would indicate he's in line for a raise worth around 20 percent.

Icardi was eager to celebrate his 100th Serie A strike via his official Instagram page and illustrate his Inter allegiances:

More than three years remain on Icardi's current contract, which expires in 2021, but the danger is that a more tempting offer could arise unless the Nerazzurri improve his financial position.

Inter purchased Icardi from Sampdoria in 2013 and named the South American star as their captain, and he's repaid them with consistent class in front of goal, per OptaPaolo:

The 25-year-old now sits on 22 goals for the season and is three away from beating his career-best tally of strikes in a single season, suggesting he's reached a new level among the world's deadliest finishers.

Real might rank as one of the forward's fondest admirers, but a new contract signing would effectively end their interest for now, meaning Los Blancos may be forced to seek out new attacking targets.