Mauro Icardi‘s late finish in Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Roma gave Inter Milan their first home win in Serie A since they defeated Palermo at the San Siro on 8 February.

There was a euphoric air as the Argentinian rushed to greet the celebrating hordes having driven his low, hard strike beyond Morgan De Sanctis. It’s not a surprise given the mediocrity that Inter’s fans have come to expect of late.

Roma are hardly in inspiring form themselves at this stage of the season, but as far as the Nerazurri are concerned, a win is a win. Not only that, but this result came on the back of a respectable draw in the derby with AC Milan and a hammering of Hellas Verona.

Thus, the signs are promising for Inter coach Roberto Mancini, though to turn this brief momentum into something bigger he must do everything he can to ensure Inter keep hold of Icardi.

Club president Erick Thohir will make the call on any prospective transfer deal, but with Icardi in the midst of negotiating a new contract, as the player told Mediaset (h/t Goal), Mancini should be absolutely clear on the player’s importance to his long-term vision.

Icardi has been linked with moves to the English Premier League of late, by outlets such as the Express, and Inter should plan on building their attack around him to ward off potential suitors.

In a team bereft of cutting edge, Icardi has been a game-changer this season. His 19 goals in 38 appearances in all competitions have probably been the difference between a poor year and an embarrassing one for a club currently lingering in mid-table—well beneath their ambitions.

With six league matches left, his goals continue to give Inter hope of qualifying for European competition next season.

Icardi‘s countryman and club team-mate Rodrigo Palacio was out of form in the first half of this season. It put a lot of pressure on the younger man’s shoulders, but, generally, he has handled the burden of responsibility with consummate ease.

One blip came following Inter’s 1-3 away loss at Sassuolo on 1 February. Icardi came off the bench to score Inter’s goal in that game, but afterwards unleashed a verbal tirade at Inter fans. Having thrown his shirt into the crowd, they threw it back. There was perhaps a degree of petulance on both sides, but Icardi‘s behaviour didn’t go down well.

They were ominous times that seemed to suggest his future may lie elsewhere, but since then, Icardi has reacted like a true professional. He scored twice in the aforementioned win over Palermo, before scoring what was essentially the match-winning goal away to Cagliari two weeks later. On 8 March, it was his stunning Panenka-style penalty kick that secured Inter a valuable point away to Napoli.

An even more intriguing signal of Icardi‘s maturation as a player is his increasing tally of assists. Per WhoScored.com, he only setup one goal in the first half of this campaign, but has provided for three in his last seven appearances.

Perhaps he is now more of a team player; perhaps he is enjoying the greater certainty that comes with Mancini’s more consistent recent team selections. Either way, he is showing additional worth to this Inter team as the weeks go by.

Regardless of whether or not Inter qualify for European competition, at 22 years old, Icardi is only going to get better. If Inter want to progress at the same rate, they must keep hold of their star striker.

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