Inter Milan

Inter Milan forward Mauro Icardi has said he is waiting on a "correct and concrete" contract offer from the club.

The striker's wife and agent Wanda Nara told AS (h/t Football Italia) recently there are a number of teams interested in the Argentina international and that any deal with Inter is "very far away" at this point.

Icardi took to Instagram on Thursday to address the speculation that has surfaced regarding his future at the San Siro, per Football Italia:

"I want to clarify to all the fans who read work written by pseudo-journalists in 'serious' newspapers, which write or give instructions to write without knowing or having a real idea of the facts, that my renewal will only take place when Inter make me a correct and concrete offer."

"Only after that can we talk about my renewal with truth, while putting to one side the lies that have been spread."

Nara said that there are two major clubs in Spain interested in Icardi, as well as possible suitors from the Premier League and Ligue 1. 

Per Football Italia, Icardi also dismissed speculation from Gazzetta dello Sport that Inter want someone other than his wife to be his representative. "It'll always be Wanda Icardi who takes care of my and our interests until the end of my career," he said on his Instagram account.

The striker posted the following on Twitter, mocking the suggestion from the Italian newspaper:

#MI9 pic.twitter.com/KMajynsTZt

— MauroIcardi (@MauroIcardi) January 10, 2019

While Icardi has regularly made it clear he has a strong affinity with Inter, supporters will be getting a little jittery when it comes to the striker's contract.

His current terms run until 2021, meaning there's no pressure on the Serie A side to cash in on their skipper yet. However, it does appear as though there are a number of high-class outfits interested in signing the sharpshooter, who has developed a reputation as one of the most gifted goalscorers in world football.

This season, he's also proved he's capable of replicating that productivity in the UEFA Champions League:

3 - Mauro #Icardi is the first @Inter player to score in each of his first three Champions League home games for the club. Historic.#UCL #InterPSV pic.twitter.com/8FC2hWKbML

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) December 11, 2018

He's scored nine goals in 16 appearances in Serie A this term. Had he been a little more clinical, the Inter skipper could be sitting on an even bigger haul of goals:

Mauro Icardi: Only Cristiano Ronaldo (10) has missed more clear-cut goalscoring opportunities than Icardi (9) in Serie A this season

For more player stats -- https://t.co/aVgDkIy4gi pic.twitter.com/7uZbI9EbYp

— WhoScored (@WhoScored) January 9, 2019

Inter have been active in the transfer market in recent years, spending big money on a number of high-profile players and improving the squad to a standard that saw them qualify for the Champions League this season.

With speculation simmering and the recent quotes from both Icardi and his agent adding more fuel to the fire, Inter will now surely seek to get their captain tied down for an extended term as a priority.

What will worry Inter is the supposed interest from some of European football's juggernauts. Despite his love for the Nerazzurri, if a club competing for the biggest prizes domestically and in Europe makes a play for him, there will be a temptation to move on.  

Mauro Icardi's agent has opened the door for the striker to exit Inter Milan, saying contract negotiations are not going well and there's interest from La Liga, the Premier League and Ligue 1.

Wanda Nara―his agent and wife―spoke to Madrid-based newspaper AS (h/t Football Italia) and painted a bleak picture for Nerazzurri fans:

"Right now, Icardi's renewal with Inter is very far away.

"We're far from reaching an agreement. The figures being talked about in Italy aren't true and we haven't received a satisfactory proposal from Inter yet.

"I won't deny that we can reach an agreement, but right now we're very far apart. It's not logical to renew Mauro's contract for the amount he currently earns.

"We believe Mauro is worth more than that. There are some very important clubs interested in signing him.

"For example, there are the two biggest clubs in Spain, with whom we have excellent relationships, plus an English team and a French one."

Icardi has previously professed his love for and desire to stay with Inter at every opportunity. The player ruled out an exit amid links to Real Madrid as recently as December, per Corriere dello Sport (h/t Goal's Joe Wright).

According to Football Italia, the two La Liga clubs Nara mentioned are likely Real and Barcelona. Paris Saint-Germain are likely the French side and either Manchester United or Chelsea could be the club from the Premier League.

The 25-year-old has been strongly linked with Chelsea and Real in particular. Both clubs have a dire need at the striker position and the financial resources to make a big splash in January.

Icardi is one of the best pure scorers in the sport and has already bagged four UEFA Champions League goals this season. He has easily crossed the 20-goal mark in three of the last four Serie A seasons and finished with 29 in the 2017-18 campaign.

As shared by Goal, he's something of a throwback as a classic No. 9, a poacher who only needs half a chance to make his mark:

The best no.9 in the world? 🤩

Enjoy Mauro Icardi - we'll never see anyone like him again 🙌 | ✍️ @ameeruszkaihttps://t.co/zJg51rute0 #FCIM

— GOAL News (@GoalNews) January 9, 2019

Local rivals AC Milan learned that the hard way in the most recent derby:

He's been with Inter since 2013 and has been the team's biggest star and most pivotal player the last few seasons. The Nerazzurri have struggled since their treble-winning campaign in 2009-10, as Juventus have dominated Serie A.

While Inter have struggled as a team, Icardi has shone, crossing the century mark for the club:

The Argentina international is too good to spend the prime of his career away from the biggest stage, and after Inter's latest Champions League exit, a move seems more likely than ever.

Icardi won't come cheap, however, which is where the contract comes into play. His deal will run out in 2021, so the club still has leverage in talks for the foreseeable future. Things change if they can't agree to an extension, however, opening the door for interested clubs in the summer.

His value on the open market will drop as we get closer to 2021, and Inter could opt to cash in if he doesn't sign a new deal.   

Brazilian striker Gabriel Barbosa—commonly known as Gabigol—is eager to prove himself at Inter Milan when he returns to the club this month amid speculation he could complete a move to the Premier League.

Gabigol failed to flourish at Inter following a reported €30 million (£27 million) move from Brazil in August 2016. After a short-term spell at Benfica, he was sent back on loan to boyhood outfit Santos in January 2018 and is ready to impress his parent club after rediscovering his scoring touch.

The 22-year-old scored 18 goals in 35 Brasileiro Serie A appearances for Santos this year and told Panorama.it (h/t Football Italia): "Before any decision I want to speak with [Inter manager Luciano] Spalletti. I'll be in Italy on January 7 for a meeting. I'd like a chance at Inter."

That haul saw the forward finish the Campeonato campaign as top scorer in Brazil, and the 27 goals he netted in all competitions is the most he's notched in a single season so far in his career.

Goal's Bruno Andrade reported Premier League outfits Fulham and West Ham United have each shown interest in the attacker, while Flamengo want to keep him in Brazil.

Gabigol has made 15 career appearances in Europe—10 for Inter and five for Benfica—but failed to earn a league start for either club.

Sportswriter Manuel Veth recently said his value is likely to have dropped since his 2016 move to Inter, even despite his boost in form back in his native Brazil:

Gabigol, in retrospect, was an inflated price too. You have to remember a South American is a big risk. The list of players that didn't make it is very long. Pulisic has played in Europe for three seasons in the Bundesliga and Champions League. That is an important factor.

— Manuel Veth (@ManuelVeth) January 2, 2019

Andrade wrote Inter will offer their forward out on loan, but it's understood they'd like any suitor to pay his €3.5 million (£3.1 million) salary—a little less than £60,000 per week—in full. However, the Guardian's Fabrizio Romano recently reported the Nerazzurri would rather sell the player if possible.

Gabigol could be at an early crossroads in his career as he prepares to return to Europe a renewed force. It's understandable the forward might seek redemption at the San Siro, though Goal showed before his return to Santos last winter why his form in Europe was far from encouraging:

Is Gabigol's career already at risk? The Brazilian wonderkid has been a disaster in Europe - by @Mark_Doyle11 https://t.co/AqGDfhYcpq pic.twitter.com/N34P3hULSM

— GOAL (@goal) November 25, 2017

The Brasileiro Serie A star is eager to return to Europe, it seems, despite the adoration he's received at Santos following his return earlier this year, via Squawka:

Sound on, listen to the roar. 😵

Gabigol celebrates his Classico winner vs Corinthians by referencing a famous @SantosFC goal from 2002 - mimicking Robinho’s eight ‘pedaladas’ before he was brought down for a penalty, which he scored.

Wow. 🚲 pic.twitter.com/LOQtBcdsy4

— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) October 14, 2018

The Nerazzurri already have a capable set of strikers in Argentinian duo Mauro Icardi, 25, and Lautaro Martinez, 21. Icardi leads the team with nine league goals this season, though Martinez has made an encouraging impact since his July transfer from Racing Club and has three goals in four Serie A starts.

West Ham have struggled to pose the same attacking threat when Marko Arnautovic has been injured this season, while Fulham have scored only 21 times in 21 games and are second from the bottom.

Gabigol is seemingly available to the club willing to take another risk on his potential, though it appears his heart is set on another attempt at carving out his place in the Inter squad.  

Inter Milan sporting director Piero Ausilio has reaffirmed the team's trust in coach Luciano Spalletti amid speculation Jose Mourinho could return to the Nerazzurri to replace him.

Mourinho departed Manchester United earlier this month, and his availability coupled with Spalletti's struggles led to plenty of rumours.

Goal's Mark Doyle noted Corriere dello Sport named the Special One the "dream of Interisti" and added the links were likely to stay.

But as reported by Goal's Nick Howson, Ausilio told Sky Sports Italia the Spaletti isn't going anywhere:

"Mourinho? He is not a shadow. It does not surprise me that we talk about him in a time when media and everyone need to say something.

"We work in a more rational way. Our project has been ongoing for a year-and-a-half with Spalletti and will go on with him for many years.

"[Club owners] Suning [Holdings Group] is ambitious. They want an Inter that returns to winning ways, not one that is content to be second, third or fourth.

"What we can say to the fans is that we are working hard to get Inter back to winning ways as soon as possible."

The pressure on Spalletti increased dramatically after Inter's exit from the UEFA Champions League. The Italians could easily have qualified but couldn't get defeat already eliminated PSV on the final matchday, allowing Tottenham Hotspur to finish ahead of them.

In Serie A, Inter have risen to third place after a solid run of three wins in four matches, but they will start the new year 14 points behind leaders Juventus and five behind Napoli. A title challenge seems next to impossible, and for ambitious Chinese owners Suning Holdings Group, third place likely isn't good enough.

Eurosport's Siavoush Fallahi believes the results are in line with the team's potential:

Spalletti: Beat Napoli, Milan & Lazio. Drew at Roma. Lost narrowly against Juve after preparing the game perfectly. Joao Mario reborn. Knocked out of CL on goal difference by two better teams.

Some matches could've been done better I agree. But we're doing well and as we should

— Siavoush Fallahi (@SiavoushF) December 27, 2018

Mourinho's final months at Old Trafford were a disaster, but the Portuguese manager still has an excellent reputation in some of the other leagues where he coached.

Arguably his best stint came with Inter between 2008 and 2010, yielding two Serie A titles and a treble following success in the 2009-10 Champions League.

This came shortly after the Calciopoli scandal, a period in which Juventus struggled to recover. The Old Lady have since won seven Italian titles in a row.

Spalletti took charge in 2017 after a successful second stint with AS Roma. He signed a new contract in the summer.  

Inter Milan have been given a two-match stadium ban following the racist abuse Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly received on Wednesday from fans at the San Siro.

On Thursday, the FIGC―Italy's football federation―announced the Nerazzuri will play two matches behind closed doors and that one of their stadium's stands, the Curva Nord, will be shut down for a third, per Football Italia.

Per BBC Sport, Inter have the option to appeal.

Koulibaly himself has been suspended for two matches after he was sent off for "sarcastic applause" of the referee after being booked during the game.

The Senegal international received constant abuse throughout the 1-0 loss, and Napoli manager Carlo Ancelotti said he asked the referee to suspend the match on three separate occasions, per sportswriter James Horncastle:

Ancelotti says Napoli asked for the game to be suspended on 3 occasions for racist chanting aimed at Koulibaly. Speaker read out 3 warnings. Ancelotti bewildered why game wasn’t interrupted. Adds next time Napoli will stop playing even if it means they forfeit the game

— James Horncastle OMRI (@JamesHorncastle) December 26, 2018

The 27-year-old took to social media after the contest:

Koulibaly: "I'm disappointed by the defeat, but above all at leaving my brothers!
"But I am proud of the colour of my skin. Proud to be French, Senegalese, Neapolitan: Man." https://t.co/gCaL6xTKEa

— Football Italia (@footballitalia) December 26, 2018

The FIGC said they arrived at the punishment after taking into account "the aggravating circumstances related to their repetition and the climate created inside the stadium." Koulibaly has been on the receiving end of abuse before, and Juventus received a stadium ban of their own in a similar situation earlier this season, per Goal's Taiye Taiwo.

Koulibaly received support from fans and players after the match, including Cristiano Ronaldo:

Cristiano Ronaldo has come out in support of Koulibaly after the Napoli star became subject to racial abuse from Inter Milan fans. 👏 pic.twitter.com/WkHLMEFzGj

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 27, 2018

The abuse from the fans wasn't the only thing that marred Wednesday's marquee clash, as violence erupted before and during the match. Four Napoli fans were stabbed before and during the encounter, while an Inter fan was killed after being hit by an SUV before the game.

An Inter Milan supporter has died after being hit by a van ahead of the side's game with Napoli on Wednesday.

Milan police confirmed 35-year-old Daniele Belardinelli of Varese, near Milan, was hit by the van before kick-off at the San Siro and later died, per Ansa.

It was initially reported that the vehicle was carrying Napoli fans, but police chief Marcello Cardona has since indicated that may not be the case.

Football Italia also reported four Napoli supporters were stabbed before and during the fixture, while star centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly was subjected to racist chants by some Inter fans.

Cardona said at a press conference on Thursday that he would request Inter fans not be permitted to travel to away fixtures, as well as seeking a closure of their curva section:

"There were more than 100 ultras involved in the clashes, among them ones from Varese and Nice. 

"These were very serious incidents, so I'll ask the public order committee to stop Inter fans from travelling to away games for the rest of the season and request the closure of Inter's curva at San Siro until March 31, 2019, or for five games plus one in the Coppa Italia."

Inter's Curva Nord is a renowned section of the San Siro and contains the most fervent supporters.

BBC Sport journalist Simon Stone expressed his sorrow at the events:

As well as what happened inside the stadium last night, an Inter fan was killed outside it when he was struck by a vehicle. So horrible.

— Simon Stone (@sistoney67) December 27, 2018

The Nerazzurri won 1-0 thanks to an injury-time strike from Lautaro Martinez to draw within five points of the Partenopei, who sit in second place in Serie A.

Inter Milan announced on Sunday they have temporarily suspended midfielder Radja Nainggolan for "disciplinary reasons."

The club released a statement on their official website confirming the 30-year-old has been banned from "all football activities."

BBC Sport's Simon Stone offered some more detail:

Radja Nainggolan suspended by @Inter_en until further notice. Also fined. Repeatedly turned up late for training. Will definitely miss Boxing Day game with Napoli

— Simon Stone (@sistoney67) December 23, 2018

Inter's next Serie A fixture is against Napoli on Boxing Day. Luciano Spalletti's men then travel to Empoli on Saturday for their final fixture before the winter break.

Nainggolan arrived at Inter from Roma in June in a deal worth €38 million (£33.5 million), per Goal. He has gone on to make 15 appearances in all competitions for Serie A's third-placed side, scoring three times.

Goal noted how it's been an eventful 2018 for the midfielder:

21 May: Retires internationally after not making Belgium's World Cup squad 🇧🇪

14 July: Watches on as Belgium finish third at World Cup 🥉

20 Dec: Reports claim he lost €150k through fraud 💰

23 Dec: Suspended by Inter 🇮🇹

It really hasn't been Radja Nainggolan's year... 🤦‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/juVrB0yVxW

— GOAL (@goal) December 23, 2018

This is not the first time Nainggolan has found himself in trouble for his activities away from the pitch.

He was dropped from the Roma team in January after posting a video on social media showing him smoking and drinking during New Year's Eve celebrations, per BBC Sport.

Nainggolan subsequently apologised to supporters for his actions in a post on Instagram, per Jonathan Spencer for MailOnline.

He spoke out about his reputation as a troublemaker in November in an interview with France Football (h/t Goal). 

"I can tell you that I am just a normal person and not a bad boy as many people label me. I can walk about in the worst neighbourhoods and live in a normal way. I can accept the favours that are given to the players, but it does not mean that I look for them.

"I shop at the supermarket, I can drink and smoke a cigarette with serenity. Even a footballer can smoke, even if they do not have a 'normal' job."

Football writer David Amoyal offered his view on Nainggolan:

I wouldn’t want Nainggolan on my team, his performances no longer good enough to be worth the headaches

— David Amoyal (@DavidAmoyal) December 23, 2018

Inter will now have to make do without Nainggolan for Wednesday's testing visit from second-placed Napoli at the San Siro. A win for the hosts would see them close the gap on Napoli to five points.

Former Inter Milan chairman Massimo Moratti has said he'd like to see Jose Mourinho return to the San Siro after he was sacked by Manchester United on Tuesday. 

Moratti backed current Inter boss Luciano Spalletti but made it clear he would be open to Mourinho taking charge of the Nerazzurri again in the future, per Football Italia:

"Would I like Mourinho back at Inter? Yes, I'm very fond of him. However, we'll give time to Spalletti to prove his worth. [Diego] Simeone? I love him too, but Mou is special."

Mourinho, 55, was let go by United on Tuesday after a terrible opening to the 2018-19 season.

It was his third season in charge of the Red Devils, and he departed with the Manchester giants sixth in the Premier League, 11 points off the top four and 19 points behind leaders Liverpool.

Sunday's 3-1 defeat to the Reds, in which United were outplayed by Jurgen Klopp's side, was Mourinho's final game in charge and was the fifth match in the last six in the league United failed to win.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been announced as caretaker manager at Old Trafford until the end of the season:

OFFICIAL: Manchester United confirm Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as their caretaker manager until the end of the season pic.twitter.com/CKJuBoYUlx

— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 19, 2018

Meanwhile, Mauricio Pochettino and Zinedine Zidane are among those being tipped to take the job permanently in the summer:

Zidane❓
Pochettino❓
Conte❓
Blanc❓

Could one of these be the next permanent Man United manager 🤔 pic.twitter.com/QwRm9v5gt4

— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) December 18, 2018

Perhaps even more interesting, though, is where Mourinho will end up next. His time at United has not done his reputation a great deal of good.

Not only did he fail to win a league title with the Red Devils—something he achieved at least once in each of his previous five managerial stints at Porto, Chelsea (twice), Inter and Real Madrid.

But he also created a bad atmosphere at the club and did not play attractive football.

Moratti is still a fan, though, and it would not be a surprise to see Mourinho return to Inter, where he delivered a treble in 2009-10.

Mauro Icardi "won't join Juventus," according to Inter Milan sporting director Piero Ausilio, despite the striker stalling on signing a new contract with the Nerazzurri.

Ausilio updated reporters on the state of negotiations with Icardi's wife and agent, Wanda Nara, on Tuesday, per Calciomercato:

"His agent? She knows where to find me, in the office or on the phone. I say things how they are, Icardi received a contract two years ago and signed it. The most recent proposal was two months ago, which he received but it was not accepted. This doesn't mean a dead end, we want to continue the negotiations."

When asked about Serie A rivals Juve talking to the prolific No. 9, Ausilio sounded unfazed and unconvinced by the prospect of Inter's star player moving to Turin: "I reply with a laugh and no comment, I can say without problems that Icardi won't join Juventus."

Ausilio's words will ease the anxieties of Inter fans, who naturally won't want to see Icardi's goals benefit the Bianconeri.

The sporting director's reassurances come after Icardi's wife told Tiki Taka (h/t Football Italia) that her husband and Inter remain "very far away" in talks over a new deal after a renewed sponsorship agreement with Nike was reached.

She also said Inter have yet to offer any fresh terms and wanted to sell the centre-forward to Juve, an idea Icardi himself rejected. The priority for the Icardis is to remain at the San Siro.

Icardi recently added weight to the notion he wants to stay when he took to social media to suggest he knows his future:

👕 200 appearences for Inter ⚫️🔵
⚽️ 119 goals ...
➡️ .. To be Continued .. #MI9 💥 https://t.co/qv6DPJ61Dm

— MauroIcardi (@MauroIcardi) December 12, 2018

It's good news for Inter, who have become increasingly reliant on the South American's goals. The dependency makes sense since Icardi has no trouble finding the net as the focal point of Luciano Spalletti's team.

He's done so 13 times across all competitions this season, including netting nine goals in the Italian top flight. His performances have been good enough to move Inter up to third and six points ahead of AC Milan, although the Nerazzurri have played a game more than their city rivals.

If one factor could determine Icardi's future at Inter beyond this season it may be the club's UEFA Champions League status. The club failed to qualify from the group stage of this season's competition despite Icardi scoring four times in six matches.

Mauro Icardi has now scored in all three Champions League games at the San Siro this season:

⚽️ vs. Spurs
⚽️ vs. Barcelona
⚽️ vs. PSV

What a way to mark your 200th appearance for the club. 👊 pic.twitter.com/cN1yxenAOU

— Squawka (@Squawka) December 11, 2018

It means settling for a place in the Round of 32 of the UEFA Europa League. Icardi's presence makes Inter a major threat to win Europe's second-tier club trophy, but it's not the level a player of his ability is likely to want to stay at for long.

Mauro Icardi's wife and agent, Wanda Nara, has provided an update on the striker's future and said she has been reading through a contract renewal with Inter Milan.

Per Goal's Harry Sherlock, Nara tweeted on Friday: "It is 00:30 and I'm still here to read the pages of the renewal."

The Argentinian's deal with the Nerazzurri runs until 2021, according to Transfermarkt, but he has been regularly linked with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid.

AS reported Los Blancos have revived their interest in the striker following Inter Milan's exit from the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday (h/t Football Espana).

Los Blancos are enduring a tough season after Cristiano Ronaldo's summer departure to Juventus. Their top scorer this season in La Liga is Karim Benzema, who has just five goals from 15 appearances.

Meanwhile, Icardi has been in prolific form once again for Inter. He has 12 goals already in this campaign in all competitions.

He highlighted his goalscoring record for the club after making his 200th appearance in the 1-1 draw with PSV Eindhoven:

👕 200 appearences for Inter ⚫️🔵
⚽️ 119 goals ...
➡️ .. To be Continued .. #MI9 💥 https://t.co/qv6DPJ61Dm

— MauroIcardi (@MauroIcardi) December 12, 2018

Icardi told Corriere dello Sport about how he is happy at the San Siro (h/t Goal's Joe Wright).

"I don't think this is the right time [to move], given the results. And I'm fine where I am.

"I've always made my goals clear: first, to return to the Champions League with Inter, and we've done that. Second, to win something with Inter. The [sporting] director [Piero Ausilio] has made a good team despite not being able to spend a lot.

"When the time comes, we'll renew. There's time."

Inter Milan have offered Icardi an extension until 2023 that will see the striker earn an annual salary of €7 million plus numerous bonuses, per Football Italia.