Mauro Icardi Talks PSG Move, Wanda Nara and Lionel Messi Relationship

Mauro Icardi has said he moved to Paris Saint-Germain on loan from Inter Milan in the summer because it was time for him "to go to a winning club." 

The 26-year-old also hinted he would be keen to stay at the Parc des Princes beyond the end of his loan spell next summer.

According to Fabrizio Romano and Ed Aarons of the Guardian, PSG have an option to buy the Argentinian for £59 million at the end of the loan.

As such, Icardi could potentially have played his last game for Inter after six seasons at the club.

During that time, he became captain of the Nerazzurri and was the club's top scorer five seasons running, but he never won any silverware.

Icardi has now said he joined PSG to win trophies, per Canal Plus (h/t Football Italia):

"I came here to play. If you arrive with an option to buy, you know the player has to give his best to ensure the club decides to purchase him outright. We'll see what happens next summer. I was in my seventh year at Inter and my dream was to play in the Champions League with Inter, which I did last season, but we never won anything.

"I thought the time had come for me to go to a winning club, one that could challenge for and win titles. It's time for me to start winning. The truth is that PSG is a squad full of champions and that is what I wanted."

Icardi's 2018-19 campaign was somewhat truncated at Inter as he was exiled from the squad in February due to a fallout over his contract.

He was also stripped of the captaincy:

At the time, his wife and agent, Wanda Nara, was a regular presence in the media as she attempted to defend her husband and client.

Nara has a mixed reputation, not only because of her bold approach to negotiations, but because she used to be married to Icardi's former Sampdoria team-mate and fellow Argentinian Maxi Lopez.

Per Canal Plus (h/t Football Italia), Icardi acknowledged his relationship with Nara is "a taboo," but he said having her "as my agent is the best decision for my family and my career."

He also rejected the rumours that his restricted appearances in the Argentina squad—he only has eight senior caps—have partly been a result of star man Lionel Messi's close friendship with Lopez:

"I have played with Messi, I knew him back from when I was at the Barcelona academy many years ago. I know him and I don't think it's true, but I can't stop people saying it. I appreciate him a great deal, and I doubt it's true."

Icardi has only made played 27 minutes for PSG in Ligue 1 so far this term, as well as an hour in their 3-0 UEFA Champions League win against Real Madrid last week.

He was not available for Sunday's away win at Lyon due to injury:

When he returns, he will be hoping to get a run in the side. But the battle for the attacking spots at PSG is fierce, as even with Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe injured, Neymar, Angel Di Maria and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting have all started the season in fine fashion.