Following a 2014-15 campaign that saw him net 22 times in the league, Mauro Icardi is now considered to be one of the most lethal strikers in the game at this point in time.
Linked with a whole host of European powerhouses before his contract renewal, the Argentine is seen as the man who can spearhead Inter Milan’s push for a Champions League place in 2015-16.
The coming season is going to be a challenging one for both Icardi and Inter.
An eighth place finish in Serie A last season leaves Roberto Mancini’s side with it all do this term as the club pursues a return to the Champions League.
Twenty-two-year-old Icardi is expected to play a monumental role in this, as he looks to repeat his goal-scoring exploits of the previous season. The mercurial forward may have a tougher time of it this coming campaign though, as defenders are likely to be increasingly aware of his possible movements and style of play amongst other things.
This is not something that will faze the Argentine, though. He has endured circumstances similar to this in the past, excelling with flying colours.
Leaving his home city, Rosario, when he was six to live in Spain’s Canary Islands, Icardi began his youth career with Vecindario where he scored over 500 goals in the club’s youth categories.
He was snapped up by Barcelona amid a dispute between the Catalan giant, Real Madrid and others. Three years at the club, however, allowed the La Masia youth product to realise that Barca was not the right place for his development, joining Samp on loan in January 2011.
Thirteen goals in 19 games with the Primavera side at the Blucerchiati was more than enough to convince the club to purchase the player on a permanent basis. Icardi went on to enjoy a successful spell at Sampdoria, leading the club en route to promotion in the Serie B play-offs with one his first goals in its colours and scoring a total of 11 in 33 appearances, many of which were as a substitute.
Prior to the commencement of the 2013-14 Serie A season, the lethal Argentine was snapped up by Inter for a reported €12 million. This deal looks to be a masterstroke by the Milanese giant, with Icardi netting 36 goals in 71 appearances for the club and winning last season’s Capocannoniere alongside Hellas Verona’s Luca Toni, 16 years his senior.
Inter’s number nine is a unique sort of striker. Standing at 181 centimetres tall, he is not overly quick but is extremely skillful with the ball at his feet and dangerous in the air. What is more impressive, however, is Icardi’s natural striker’s instinct and opportunistic nature. Napoli’s Duván Zapata is the only player with fewer touches per goal (42) for those with five or more goals than Inter’s lethal front-man (48).
Most of his goals are scored in and around the six-yard box. Icardi almost always seems to be in the right place at the right time.
His most accomplished and impressive attribute, however, is his finishing. Of the players with at least 10 strikes in 2014-15, Icardi’s conversion rate (19%) is bettered only by Miroslav Klose (37%), and Jérémy Ménez (22%).
For all the upside to his game, there comes a drawback, however.
Icardi has never been one to shy away from controversy. He has a ‘bad boy’ reputation. Icardi’s actions off the field and perceived arrogance through living a somewhat lavish and not-too-modest lifestyle have earned him much scrutiny.
It is his personality, however, that makes the former Sampdoria man such a deadly and cool customer. He is a clutch player. One who thrives under pressure as well as abuse from opposition fans.
Upon facing his former employers toward the back end of the 2013-14 season, there was much media attention placed upon himself and former teammate Maxi Lopez due to personal reasons. Icardi scored a double that day in a 4-0 win, where the image of him antagonising his previous supporters made the front page in the papers the next day.
Upon the game’s conclusion he went on to say: “Forty thousand fans were against me, and the more they insulted me, the more it pumped me up. That’s the way I am.”
This outlook will undoubtedly serve the poacher well, as it already has done, in the coming years, and it is a key factor to his success in the game thus far.
In an environment where Icardi is the main man, he has thrived, and he may perhaps be a key factor in Inter’s return to the Champions League as well as the summit of Italian football. If the club is to remain where it currently is, there is no doubting that the lethal front-man would be a big hit at one of Europe’s elite.
Still only 22, Icardi has come a long way. Whilst there are still some facets of his game that require improvement, it is crystal clear that Inter’s number nine is destined for big things in the game.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
