Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi’s agent-cum-wife Wanda Nara has claimed Arsenal have made contact over a potential summer move, shortly after the club’s sporting director Piero Ausilio rubbished her earlier claims of the club being ready to offload him owing to financial reasons.
The Nerazzurri more than tripled his wages only in April 2015, and the striker is reportedly at £70,000-a-week. However, Icardi’s wife has been at a war of words with the sporting director in recent times, with the Icardis trying to engineer yet another hike.
She alleged that Arsenal and two other parties had made enquiries, and added fuel to the burning fire, claiming two other Serie A sides, who finished above Inter last season, were also keen on his services. "Atletico Madrid, Tottenham and Arsenal have made contact. Napoli and AS Roma are also interested,” said the 29-year-old Argentine model.
After claiming that five European heavyweights’ were interested in her husband’s services, she stated that the Icardis would fancy staying with the San Siro club in the event of her husband being ‘respected’ by the club. She summed up her interview, subtly hinting at a pay rise.
"Mauro, though, wants to stay at Inter and that's what I want too. Icardi respects (Roberto) Mancini. He has never said anything wrong but we want to be respected as well.
"I am pregnant now, I don't want to move somewhere else. I don't want to move four people away. However, both me and Mauro know the importance of money. Our families were not so rich so we know how important money is."
By the looks of things, she is merely using Arsenal and the other parties as smokescreens to earn a better contract at Inter. However, given her emphasis on money, the Gunners could bring down the striker, who notched 16 goals in 32 league appearances in Inter’s Europa League qualifying campaign, with a substantial offer on the table.
At a tender age of 23, he is already excellent at finishing — he topped the best conversion rate charts in Italy last season, at 28.1 percentage — and holding play up; he may ensure that he averts striking woes for many years to come if he does join the Emirates Stadium club.
