Why Chelsea must go all out to sign Inter Milan’s Mauro Icardi
Chelsea are interested in an audacious summer move for Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi, as per a report from AS English, and have submitted an initial offer of €63m (£55m). Icardi has been a phenomenal player in the Italian top-flight for quite some time and he was linked with a January exit from Inter Milan.
The Serie A club may have managed to hold on to him back in January but it is safe to assume that things could be a lot different this time. Besides Chelsea, Real Madrid have also been keeping an eye on him, as reported by Calciomercato, and it remains to be seen if the Blues succeed in acquiring his signature.
However, given the situation at Stamford Bridge, it becomes imperative for the club to ensure they can bring in a player like Icardi.
The Inter captain boasts of immense potential and skill, and at 25 years of age, he has a long way to go ahead of him. Also, he has scored 22 goals in 24 Serie A appearances this season, which is more or less a goal per game on an average. That is an impeccable record and it is miles better than Alvaro Morata’s 10 goals in 24 Premier League appearances.
Despite arriving at the club in a high-profile move last summer, Morata has failed to live up to his billing and has been a major disappointment for the club.
In fact, his performances took a nose dive as the season progressed and ultimately, Antonio Conte had to resort to using Eden Hazard as the central striker with Pedro and Willian on either wing. Prior to that, the manager did try utilising Hazard as the secondary striker with Morata up front but even then, the Spaniard’s displays were not good.
After enduring a lacklustre season this time, it will be important for the Blues to do a lot better next season. And to that end, Icardi can work wonders. To be honest, ever since Diego Costa infamously left the club, Chelsea have struggled to fill his void.
Signing Morata was supposed to be the answer but we all know how that has turned out. And with Michy Batshuayi serving a loan spell at Borussia Dortmund, the Blues are facing an acute shortage of resources up front.
Although Icardi won’t come cheap, it is crucial for Chelsea to make a solid move for him. Be it his blinding pace or refined finishing skills, the Argentine international can spark a massive upheaval in the Blues’ fortunes next season and the club must do everything they can to acquire his signature by the end of this campaign.