Arsenal and Newcastle United are reportedly among the clubs keen on signing Argentine forward Mauro Icardi from French giants Paris Saint-Germain.
According to a report by Italian outlet Calciomercato.it, Arsenal and Newcastle United could be embroiled in a transfer tussle to sign Paris Saint-Germain striker Mauro Icardi. It appears the Ligue 1 giants are expecting a mass exodus in the upcoming transfer windows, and the Argentine international could be one of many facing the chop come summer.
Icardi was once dubbed as one of the best strikers in Europe when he made the switch to the Qatari-backed PSG project from Inter Milan in 2019. After initially joining on loan, the 29-year-old netted 12 goals in 20 league games in his debut season at the club, prompting the French heavyweights to sign him up on a permanent deal.
However, that has since proven to be a big mistake, as the forward has struggled to live up to the hype. While a tally of 38 goals and 10 assists in 91 appearances for Les Parisiens across his two-and-a-half-year spell at the club is not a terrible output by any means, his injury problems and off-field issues are causing an unnecessary distraction to his footballing career.
He has fallen further down the pecking order since the arrival of Lionel Messi last summer, and with PSG considering a Bosman move for Paulo Dybala come summer, a potential departure at the end of the season seems inevitable for Icardi. Despite his inconsistencies and controversial attitude problems, there appears to be no shortage of suitors in the transfer market for the Argentine striker.
A whole host of clubs, including Juventus, Barcelona, AS Roma, Sevilla and Real Sociedad, have shown interest in offering the talented striker a chance to resurrect his stuttering career. However, any possible move would involve heavy cost implications due to his exorbitant wages, making Arsenal and Newcastle United the likeliest destinations.
Arsenal previously turned down the chance to sign Icardi despite Mikel Arteta making a striker a priority in the January transfer window when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was allowed to leave for Barcelona on deadline day.
However, with Arsenal scouring for a striker due to the uncertainties surrounding the futures of Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah, the report claims that the Gunners could circle back for the Argentine international, who certainly has an eye for goal. That said, Icardi turned 29 last month, and with Arteta looking for a much-younger profile, this rumour at the moment seems nuanced.
As for Newcastle, the new owners would look to make a statement with another massive transfer splash this summer if they manage to avoid relegation, which looks increasingly likely going by their form in recent months.
The Magpies were recently linked with a flamboyant and crazy transfer for PSG superstar Neymar to send further shockwaves into the footballing world. Icardi, in that regard, with plenty of top-level experience and quality, would be an ideal and more realistic alternative to the Brazilian forward.
The 29-year-old has a contract until 2024 in Paris, so he would still command a decent pay-check, as PSG look to redeem most of the money they had invested on the player a few years back.
