Wanda Nara Says Mauro Icardi Would Stay at Inter Milan for 150 Years
April 29, 2019
Wanda Nara, the wife and agent of Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi, has said the forward would stay at the club for 150 years if he could.
Having established himself as one of the finest goalscorers in the game in recent years, the current campaign has been a challenging one for the striker, as he was stripped of the club captaincy in February and spent a prolonged spell on the sidelines.
Naturally, rumours have started to swirl regarding a possible departure, but after Inter's 1-1 draw with rivals Juventus on Saturday, Nara said the striker is committed to the Milan outfit, per Tiki Taka (h/t Football Italia).
"Mauro wants to stay. It's his choice," she said. "If [Luciano] Spalletti stays at Inter for the next 100 years, Mauro will for the next 150. That's how he answered when I asked him, plus he's younger."
Icardi started in the draw with Juventus and Nara said she was impressed with how he led the line for the team. "I liked how Mauro played, he played for the team like he has been lately," she said. "For me he had a good game. Mauro is someone who listens and does what he’s told to do."
According to Gianluca di Marzio of Sky Sport (h/t Jack Otway of the Daily Express), Inter and Manchester United are considering a possible swap deal involving Icardi and Romelu Lukaku. It's added that Napoli are also interested in the Argentina international.
This term, Icardi has scored 10 times in 25 top-flight appearances, a return someone with his goalscoring pedigree will be disappointed with. Last season he was on target 29 times in Serie A and was the most clinical striker in Europe's top five divisions:
Football writer Jonas Giaever said that while Icardi is a fine footballer, there are other things to consider for any team seeking to sign him:
Jonas Giæver @CheGiaevaraFor all of those talking about wanting players who are dedicated to Man Utd and "really wanna be here", not too sure you should think Icardi is an upgrade on anyone. Not taking anything away from his talents, he's a great striker. But I'm not too sure about the package he carries
Since being stripped of the captaincy, sections of the Inter fanbase have made it clear they are no longer supporters of Icardi, so much so that some refused to celebrate his goal against Fiorentina.
Despite being reintegrated into the team of late, an extension to Icardi's contract has yet to be agreed too.
Should Icardi get back among the goals in the final four games of the season and help Inter secure a UEFA Champions League berth for next season, the affinity with the club will start to build for him again.