Adriano Galliani Would Take Mauro Icardi at AC Milan, Slams Football 'Machismo'

Former AC Milan chief executive officer Adriano Galliani has said he'd sign Inter Milan forward Mauro Icardi and defended the player's wife, Wanda Nara, whom he feels is subject to football's "machismo."

It's not common for players at the San Siro to transfer directly from one of Milan's giants to the other, but Galliani hopes an exception may be made for Icardi.

He recently spoke to Corriere della Sera (h/t Goal's Michael Plant) and criticised football's macho mentality for the way Nara—Icardi's agent, as well as his wife—is often treated in the media:

“The Icardi saga has been amplified by the machismo that governs the world of football. Whenever Wanda Nara opens her mouth, a hurricane is unleashed. 

“Yet if great agents like Mino Raiola or Jorge Mendes behaved in the same way, no one would complain.

“Icardi, however, is a very good striker. If I could, I’d take him right away.”

Former Nerazzurri captain Icardi, 26, looks to be on his way out of the San Siro this summer. It's understood the player's contract negotiations have rumbled on for months now, while Romelu Lukaku recently joined Inter as his expected replacement.

Sportswriter Richard Hall said during a recent appearance on Love Sport Radio that all signs are pointing towards Icardi leaving the Nerazzurri:

Galliani, 75, served as Milan vice-chairman and CEO from 1986 to 2017, helping the Rossoneri win five UEFA Champions League crowns and eight Serie A titles during that reign. 

Icardi hasn't been involved in Antonio Conte's plans since he took over at Inter this summer. There's a little less than two weeks left in the summer transfer window for most of Europe's top leagues.

Inter have their supposed replacement in Lukaku, though finding a suitor for his predecessor remains the dilemma. Icardi has scored 64 goals in the past three seasons, yet he remains marooned at Inter with an uncertain season ahead.

Former Inter and AS Roma director Walter Sabatini recently suggested Nara is preventing Icardi from reaching his potential and said he'd "find a boyfriend for Wanda" if he controlled the striker's fate.

Journalist Sacha Pisani recently highlighted the ongoing interest reported from each of Italy's major clubs:

Nara, 32, has long held a high-profile position in Italian football media. Her name first rose to prominence when she left ex-husband Maxi Lopez—with whom she has three sons—for his former Sampdoria team-mate, Icardi.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has hinted in the past that he had trouble negotiating Icardi's situation with Nara, per Goal:

Galliani's recent remarks hit out at sexist undertones that exist in football. Nara may be a controversial figure, but it could also be true she's unfairly maligned in her role as an agent because of the fact she's a woman.

The Rossoneri could face a monumental challenge in convincing their fiercest rivals to sell even an unwanted asset, though Inter's willingness to sell Icardi might make a late deal possible.