Real Madrid's Predictions About Icardi Come True

Mauro Icardi against Barcelona (Instagram @mauroicardi)

JAKARTA - Real Madrid spent several years looking for a striker who could replace Karim Benzema in attack. Not for one or two seasons, but as a long-term replacement for the Frenchman.

Mariano Diaz and Luka Jovic have been Benzema's spare tires in recent seasons. However, Los Blancos have previously monitored a number of No.9 players, such as Edinson Cavani and Mauro Icardi.

Icardi was on Real Madrid's radar in the January 2017 and 2018 transfer windows, when Los Blancos studied the possibility of making a bid for the Inter Milan striker, then.

The Argentine was in the best form of his career in 2016/17 and 2017/18, as he scored 26 and 29 goals in all competitions for the Nerazzurri in those seasons respectively.

However, since then, everything has changed. Icardi left Inter due to problems with the club and moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2019. Initially on loan before joining permanently.

Although PSG paid a lot of money, namely 50 million euros for the 28-year-old player, Icardi had to fight hard to maintain a regular place in PSG's starting line-up.

The striker scored just seven goals in 23 appearances last season. Quite disappointing.

While he was prominent at the San Siro with Inter, Real Madrid monitored the situation and decided not to sign Icardi. The reason is, Los Blancos smell that there will be problems from the people around Icardi.

"We couldn't sign the player and it's not his fault," said a voice from the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu office after watching Icardi's wife, Wanda Nara, participate in an Italian TV show.

A few years later, it looks like Real Madrid made the right decision as Icardi and Nara sparked controversy again.

Icardi missed several PSG training sessions to visit Nara in Milan after his wife and agent found out that the Argentine striker was having an affair.