Rumours that former Inter captain Mauro Icardi is keen to return to the club have begun to circulate again, however there is no interest in bringing the 30-year-old back from Galatasaray from the Nerazzurri side according to recent reports.
Whispers of a sensational return to San Siro began again on Tuesday through TV journalist Roberto Alessi on the programme La Vita in Diretta, who claimed that Icardi and his wife still consider Milan to be their home.
Those claims came days after Icardi’s cryptic Instagram post over the new year, when he wrote: “Family, love and new opportunities. This is how my 2024 begins.”
Though it is impossible to concretely rule anything out in the transfer market, an Inter return for Icardi is unlikely for various reasons, as was pointed out in a recent Tuttosport report.
Firstly, in terms of profile, Simone Inzaghi already has an in-form strike force in Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram. If Inter were to bring in another attacker, it would likely be more of a second striker than another fox in the box.
Secondly, there are considerable economic factors that make Icardi’s return unlikely. Inter would not be able to cover the near €10m sum the Argentine currently earns each year with Galatasaray, even if he came in on loan.
The relationship between Icardi, his wife Wanda Nara and the Nerazzurri supporters also remains highly strained and a reunion would almost certainly come with plenty of backlash from the fanbase.
While Inter may not be the right fit any more, the odds from the bookies suggest that a move elsewhere in January is definitely not out of the question.