Mauro Icardi: Should Inter Milan Reward Wild Child to Deter Transfer Predators?

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Inter Milan need to make the right call when it comes to Argentinian centre-forward Mauro Icardi, 21, who is a talented but troubled youngster.

Placating Icardi by upping his salary is a certainty, but Inter Milan need to figure out if this is just a cash-grab tactic from his handlers or the beginning of a melodramatic transfer saga, which could lead to a premature departure in the summer.

 

World-Class Upside

There are only six footballers aged 21 years or younger who have scored 10 goals or more in either the Bundesliga, Eredivisie, La Liga, Ligue 1, Premier League or Serie A this season.

Icardi is one of the six.

A right-footed goal-poacher, Icardi’s positional sense is outstanding, and with his jumping ability, he is an aerial threat.

Icardi believes he is the next Gabriel Batistuta.

“People compare me to Batistuta, and he is the player I base myself on,” Icardi said, per Diario El Litoral (h/t Football Italia). “I have great technique, a good shot and I’m pretty good in the air. I think I’m a lot like [Batistuta].”

Scoring three goals from outside the box in three seasons makes you question Icardi’s judgement, given Batistuta was one of the most lethal long-range shooters of his generation.

Yes, Icardi is a natural goalscorer, but there are noticeable flaws in his game.

For a finisher, Icardi’s 35.3 percent shooting accuracy is not proficient enough. Icardi is also heavily reliant on his teammates feeding him the ball. Yet, when he is in advantageous positions, he tends to go alone rather than looking to pass.

That is why Icardi averages just 0.7 key passes per game, and his selfishness causes friction, as evident with the Dani Osvaldo bust-up.

That said, Icardi’s biggest red flag has nothing to do with his playing ability.

 

“Whatever, I do what I want.”—Eric Cartman

Unlike Brian Williams, Icardi is unabashedly truthful.

Confined to a realm where positive public relations is paramount to developing a professional athlete’s brand, Icardi does what he pleases without consideration for his image, let alone the feelings of others.

You can imagine Maxi Lopez shouting: “Hear, hear!“

Having a predisposition for nonconformity, the phrase “political correctness” probably does not exist in Icardi’s lexicon. 

“There are plenty of professional players [like me] who couldn’t care less about football. I never watch games and know nothing about what’s going on in the sport,” Icardi said, per SportWeek (h/t Football Italia). “[In life], the unhappy people are those who listen to others. I never listened to anyone and I’m very happy.”

Icardi’s me-against-the-world attitude was on show after a 3-1 defeat to Sassuolo when Inter Milan fans spurned his attempts of giving away his shirt.

Instead of walking away, Icardi escalated the negativity permeating from the travelling Inter Milan fans. “Pieces of s–t,” Icardi said, per Marcus Christenson at the Guardian. “You are all pieces of s–t.”

The following week, Icardi was still afflicted, as observed by Inter Milan manager Roberto Mancini: “In my opinion, you should celebrate after a goal [but Icardi didn’t],” Mancini said, per Sky Sport (h/t FourFourTwo). “I don’t think [Icardi is] unhappy, so I assume it’s a leftover from last Sunday.”

Here is an insight into Icardi’s paradoxical nature.

Last April, he was admonished for excessive celebration by then-Inter Milan manager Walter Mazzarri in a 4-0 win over Sampdoria.

“All [Icardi] had to do was go back to the centre of the field and not make that gesture,” Mazzarri said, per La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Ben Gladwell at ESPN FC). “[If] we manage to get rid of all the superfluous things about him, then he’s going to become a great player.”

What did Icardi do? 

Upon scoring, “[he] sprinted immediately toward the [Sampdoria] Ultras in the Gradinata Sud, cupping his ears in their direction,” per Paolo Bandini in the Guardian. “If the mood had been hostile before kick-off, then it was only ratcheted up further by this perceived act of disrespect.”

Context: Sampdoria gave Icardi his career break when his development at Barcelona was stagnating.

 

Don’t Upset Icardi

Arrogant, disobedient, emotional, hostile and impulsive are all valid adjectives you could use if you were asked to describe Icardi’s character. 

Loyalty is not a trait you associate to Icardi, who has already quit on Barcelona and Sampdoria.

Once he feels slighted, he will leave.

This is why Inter Milan sporting director Piero Ausilio short-changing Icardi is as dangerous as playing Russian roulette.

There are two financial stumbling blocks that are barriers to Icardi committing to Inter Milan, per David Amoyal at GianlucaDiMarzio.com:

  • The proposed €2.8/£2.1 million annual salary.
  • Icardi wants to control the financial rights to his image rather than give away a revenue source to Inter Milan.

“Of course it’s normal that [Icardi] is not happy to be earning less than he feels he deserves,” Ausilio said, per Mediaset (h/t Ben Gladwell at ESPN FC). “Even if we’re only taking small steps [negotiating an improved contract], one every month, there’s no reason to be worried.”

How can Ausilio not be worried?

The Premier League recently negotiated a €6.92/£5.136 billion TV deal with Sky and BT, so Ausilio will be priced out if he plods along in contractual negotiations with Icardi.

Icardi’s primary suitors are from the Premier League.

Here is why Ausilio isn’t flustered. 

Inter Milan hold leverage over Icardi, who is contracted until 2018 and earns €1 million/£739,620 per year, according to Carlo Laudisa at La Gazzetta dello Sport.

If Icardi does not play ball, expect him to be sold in the summer before his contractual negotiations drag out Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao style.

 

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When not specified, statistics via WhoScored.com. 

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