The tremors can be felt across the football community. Real Madrid can’t simply part ways with the biggest star on the planet and carry on without a response.
The Champions League winners in four of the last five seasons, are primed to spend big and murmurs of Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois’ arrivals have reverberated across the transfer market like a foreshock preceding an imminent earthquake.
It’s hard to see the Spanish giants stopping their though as the Chelsea and Belgium duo don’t replace the goalscoring contributions of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese’s €100 million transfer to Juventus demands the acquisition of a new striker and while bigger names have been touted, Mauro Icardi might be just the man for the job.
CLINICAL
Karim Benzema’s woeful return in recent years as Madrid’s first choice striker is well documented. When leading the line for an absolute powerhouse of a team which has dominated Europe, his tally of 12 goals across all competitions last season is unacceptable.
For Madrid fans who have grown increasingly frustrated with the misfiring Frenchman, Icardi would be a welcome change in that regard.
The Argentine is as clinical as they come, scoring 55 times over 77 appearances in the last two seasons at Inter Milan. Even more impressive is his conversion rate as he averaged just 1.83 shots per goal in Serie A last season.
1 - Mauro Icardi was the Italian Serie A top scorer last season (29, alongside Ciro Immobile), with an average of 1,83 shots on target per goal. Killer. pic.twitter.com/BgssIOUBsr
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) July 20, 2018
NEW DYNAMIC
Benzema’s saving grace and the reason why Zinedine Zidane deemed him indispensable is his contribution to the team’s overall play.
While he may not be especially efficient in front of goal, his influence was in his movement off the ball, creating space for others, and linking up with his team-mates. He’s been largely credited for getting the best out of Ronaldo as well.
With the Portuguese gone though, it’s time for Madrid to go down a different path. Apart from his goalscoring, Icardi’s physicality is one of his chief assets.
Not only is he able to bully defences into submission, but his tenacity would bring a level of aggression to Madrid’s forward line which has been lacking during Benzema’s languid reign.
AGE
Robert Lewandowski has repeatedly been linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu, but at this stage, his age is a big drawback. The Pole will be 30 next month and is unlikely to come cheaply.
Edinson Cavani is another one of Europe’s top marksmen to feature on Madrid’s radar. At 31 though, perhaps his best years are behind him as well.
Icardi on the other hand is only 25 and just entering the prime of his career – a frightening thought given his record over the past couple of seasons. He’s already shown plenty of maturity though as Inter’s captain and is unlikely to be daunted by such a high-profile move.
AVAILABILITY
In a perfect world of course Madrid would break the bank for Harry Kane. However, the World Cup Golden Boot winner committed his future to Tottenham ahead of the tournament in Russia having signed a new six-year deal.
With a release clause of €110 million, Icardi is still significantly cheaper than what the England skipper would’ve cost Los Blancos – not to mention the travails of negotiating with Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy.
The Argentine has plenty of years ahead of him to prove his worth in gold while the Serie A outfit appear resigned to losing their star striker.
Primed for a move: Mauro Icardi.
ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT
Despite his incredible form in recent times, Icardi still divides opinion among some sections of Inter’s support. His character has long since been in question, especially after he sparked controversy by marrying the ex-wife of international team-mate and friend Maxi Lopez.
The Argentine has had some run-ins with the Nerazzurri ultras as well, which is concerning given the Bernabeu faithful’s tendency to quickly turn on an under-performing player – something even Ronaldo couldn’t escape.
Icardi has also often been at loggerheads with his coaches and that’s where Julen Lopetegui may face an issue as well. The 25-year-old has only really taken to Luciano Spalletti, largely because both are aggressive and intense characters, and value those attributes.
The striker has rather surprisingly grown into a leading figure at Inter, suggesting that with the right management, he can produce his best without disruption.
