Inter Milan

Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar has said he is close to signing a new contract with the Serie A side. 

The centre-back has been one of the standouts in his position in Serie A since joining the club in the summer of 2017.

As such, it's been no surprise to see some of the biggest clubs in European football linked with a move for him, with Mark Ogden of ESPN FC previously reporting Manchester United were interested in the Slovakia international.

But speaking with Sky Sport Italia, the defender said he is near to agreeing an extension with his club (h/t Calciomercato.com). "My contract renewal? We are close," he said. "I have a great relationship with the club."

These words will be music to the ears of Inter supporters, especially given the ongoing saga involving former captain Mauro Icardi.

As BBC Sport reported, the striker's agent and wife, Wanda Nara, has commented publicly on Icardi's contract issue on numerous occasions, with Inter manager Luciano Spalletti saying the impasse cannot be resolved by "likes on social media."

Skriniar was asked whether Icardi, who has been absent from Inter's past three matches because of a knee injury, was involved in the team's celebrations after they beat Rapid Vienna 4-0 in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday. 

"I did not go into the locker room since I went for a doping test," he said. "When I play, I try to do my best, beyond the opponent. This is my spirit and in my opinion, it must be within every single player."

If Inter do want to return to the top of Italian and European football again, it's crucial they keep hold of the likes of Skriniar and Icardi, as they can help forge a dependable spine for the team.

Per Scouted Football, despite only turning 24 recently, Skriniar is experienced in the Serie A and has a positive impact on the team's defensive play:

Milan Škriniar at 24 years-old:

• 97 Serie A games
• 32 Serie A clean sheets

• 23 Slovakia caps
• 7 Slovakia clean sheets

The national team stalwart and Internazionale enforcer turns 24 today. 🎂 pic.twitter.com/ovEOFeYzuA

— SCOUTED (@scoutedftbl) February 11, 2019

On the ball, he's an assured and purposeful presence:

Most passes per game of defenders in Serie A this season:

🥇 K. Koulibaly -- Napoli (74.0)
🥈 M. Skriniar -- Inter (69.5)
🥉 J. Andersen -- Sampdoria (62.7)https://t.co/x7C9pJR0Py pic.twitter.com/5KF8GslCPx

— WhoScored (@WhoScored) February 8, 2019

Speaking to Sky Sport Italia ahead of Thursday's match, Inter director Giuseppe Marotta said the club is "very advanced" in its negotiations with Atletico Madrid for their veteran defender Diego Godin (h/t Football Italia).

The Uruguayan is poised to join Skriniar, Stefan de Vrij, Miranda and Andrea Ranocchia among Inter's defensive options. With that in mind, Nerazzurri supporters would have been fearful the club might cash in on their star centre-back in the summer.

But Skriniar appears content with life in Milan, and a new contract would ensure any suitors would have to part with an extraordinary amount to prise him from the San Siro.

The saga involving Inter Milan's Mauro Icardi took another twist on Wednesday when the Nerazzurri announced the star striker underwent an MRI scan that revealed no "significant changes" in his right knee.

Per the club's official website, Icardi had complained about pain in his right knee, but the medical staff found no injury:

Inter confirm scan on Mauro Icardi’s knee revealed no significant injury pic.twitter.com/Fz30PzxUfL

— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 20, 2019

According to Football Italia, Icardi has been sidelined for the last week, and the injury―described as inflammation of the knee―was cited as the reason. News of the injury emerged shortly after the club stripped Icardi of the captaincy, however, leading to doubts over its legitimacy.

Eurosport's Siavoush Fallahi questioned the news:

Now I got Icardi(or Wanda?) twitter beefing Mauro's sister whilst Mauro isn't playing due to an "injury" he didn't have three days ago. Eliminate social media ffs

— Siavoush Fallahi (@SiavoushF) February 16, 2019

As Goal explained, Icardi and Inter have been at odds since the decision was made to remove his captaincy. The 25-year-old didn't travel with the team to Austria for a UEFA Europa League match and was in the stands for the win over Sampdoria during the weekend.

The Nerazzurri have tried to downplay the "painful" decision on several occasions, per Goal, while Icardi has sent out several cryptic tweets:

This quote doesn't mean what Mauro Icardi thinks it means... https://t.co/0RcRqiZLXS

— Adam Digby (@Adz77) February 15, 2019

His wife and agent, Wanda Nara, has also spoken out during a recent appearance on Mediaset's Tiki Taka (h/t ESPN FC's Ben Gladwell).

She said the duo do not wish for the striker to leave the club:

"I couldn't see this coming. Nobody had said anything to us, despite the fact we'd been in touch with the club on a daily basis and I'd had a three-hour meeting with them. I found out about it via Twitter.

"We are a family of Interistas. Mauro has scored 120 goals for this shirt, and he is the first person to believe in this team. I live in Milan for Inter, and I don't want to leave. We don't want to leave Inter. This situation must be resolved."

Inter have won both of their matches without the Argentina international with Lautaro Martinez leading the attack. Radja Nainggolan played in a more attacking role against Sampdoria and bagged the winner, scoring his first goal in Serie A since November.

With Inter publicly suggesting Icardi isn't injured, it remains to be seen whether the former Sampdoria man will start on Thursday in the return leg against Rapid Wien. The Italians will start the contest with a one-goal advantage after beating Rapid 1-0 in Austria.  

Inter Milan CEO Guiseppe Marotta has given a fresh update on Mauro Icardi's situation at the San Siro and says Milan do not want to sell the striker.

The 25-year-old has been stripped of the captaincy, which has prompted speculation over his tenure with the side, but Marotta says he does have a future at the San Siro, per Sky Sport (h/t Gianluca Di Marzio):

"Icardi is part of our squad but right now he is not available for selection. That's it. Icardi is a player of our club and we must stay with him and we are glad to do it. We talk to him everyday. 

"We don't want to sell Icardi, regardless of our decision to strip him of the armband. He did well for us and we are certain that he will keep doing well in the future too."

Icardi missed Inter's 2-1 win over Sampdoria on Sunday due to injury but watched from the stands:

Mauro Icardi watches Inter from the stands 👀 pic.twitter.com/YrCJreALdk

— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 17, 2019

Manager Luciano Spalletti acknowledged his presence at the stadium but suggested he should have visited the dressing room after the match, per Goal's Tom Webber.

"I really appreciated that he was in the stadium and I would've appreciated it even more if he had come to the dressing room to celebrate with us afterwards, because it was a very important victory for the team and he is part of this group, so I imagine he was as happy with the win as we were," Spalletti said.

Icardi's agent and wife, Wanda Nara, says he does not want to leave but has explained how the striker felt at losing the Inter Milan captaincy:

Wanda Nara was in tears as she confessed Mauro #Icardi was distraught at losing the #Inter captaincy. “It was like taking away a leg. It is not our intention to leave.” https://t.co/JxmI8HZoWF #FCIM #Argentina pic.twitter.com/M28RV7R2IZ

— Football Italia (@footballitalia) February 17, 2019

However, the current situation has sparked interest from Juventus. The club's chief football officer, Fabio Paratici, has said he has been in touch with the Nerazzurri about their striker, per Rai Radio1 (h/t Goal's Tom Storer):

"We asked for information. We wanted to know what Icardi thinks about playing for Juve. What we did was to inform them [Inter] that, if Icardi were to change club, Juve could be interested.

"These are things all clubs do with a lot of players. There has been no contact lately with Mrs Icardi. He's an Inter player and we have an important few months ahead."

Marotta told Sky Sport (h/t Calciomercato.com) the club will offer Icardi a new contract. However, it seems that his future at the club will remain uncertain until a new deal is agreed.

Mauro Icardi was hurt after being stripped of Inter Milan's captaincy and doesn't want to leave the club despite his ongoing contract dispute, which wife and agent Wanda Nara says "must be resolved." 

Nara appeared on Mediaset programme Tiki Taka (h/t ESPN FC's Ben Gladwell) and responded to Icardi's recent removal as captain, as well as his absence from Luciano Spalletti's last two matchday squads:

"For Mauro, it's like pulling one of his legs off. He's very proud of that captain's armband and of this shirt. He never played for the money. Mauro loves this club, and he wore the armband with pride.

"I couldn't see this coming. Nobody had said anything to us, despite the fact we'd been in touch with the club on a daily basis and I'd had a three-hour meeting with them. I found out about it via Twitter.

"We are a family of Interistas. Mauro has scored 120 goals for this shirt, and he is the first person to believe in this team. I live in Milan for Inter, and I don't want to leave. We don't want to leave Inter. This situation must be resolved."

Gladwell wrote that Spalletti saw Nara's public comments about Icardi's situation as divisive and that they had "caused embarassment," which led to the decision to strip him of the armband.

He subsequently withdrew from the team that faced Rapid Vienna in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League round-of-32 clash on Thursday and was in the stands for Sunday's 2-1 win over Sampdoria at the San Siro:

Mauro Icardi watches Inter from the stands 👀 pic.twitter.com/YrCJreALdk

— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 17, 2019

Goalkeeper Samir Handanovic has taken over as captain, but Spalletti told the media after the win that he "would've appreciated it even more if he [Icardi] had come to the dressing room to celebrate with us afterwards."

Inter chief executive Giuseppe Marotta arrived in the role from Juventus only last year but made a big power move by disciplining Icardi, and he also told Mediaset the club wants to "resolve this tension and bring serenity," per Gladwell:

"It's not a disciplinary measure. When you are managing a company, and I am the general manager, there are principles which must be adhered to.

"The heads of a family have to take action towards their children to help them grow. Mauro's a good guy, but he's got a lot of growth ahead of him.

"It was with a heavy heart that we took this decision, and all I can say to Wanda is that we will meet soon to discuss this if she likes."

Marotta also said a new contract offer will be presented to Icardi and Nara, after which it will be their decision whether to accept.

Goal provided more comments from the chief executive on Icardi, who is said to have been nursing a knee injury during his time out of the team:

There are two sides to every story...🤔

But what comes next for Mauro Icardi?🤷‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/1hxy3bnF92

— GOAL (@goal) February 18, 2019

Icardi's absence against Sampdoria came after he had failed to score in his past seven Serie A games, a drought that's been attributed by some to the distractions regarding his contract. The Argentina striker has a deal in Milan until the summer of 2021.

The Nerazzurri have won their last three matches in a row and could welcome Icardi back for Thursday's Europa League second leg at home to Rapid Vienna.

Inter Milan midfielder Radja Nainggolan hopes team-mate Mauro Icardi can put his ongoing controversy behind him and return to the side "as soon as possible."

The Belgian was on point in Sunday's 2-1 win over Sampdoria, bagging the winner, and addressed the absence of Icardi after the contest in an interview with Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia):

"I think there has been too much talk about things outside of football and it's distracting. I hope they resolve themselves, because this is a united squad and we want to win together.

"Mauro has always overcome obstacles, so I hope for him and for us that he can come back as soon as possible. He has shown what he is capable of, we have a striker who is doing well at the moment, but if we want to go far, we need everyone."

Icardi watched the match from the stands, looking on as Danilo D'Ambrosio and Manolo Gabbiadini scored to set the table for Nainggolan's winner:

Mauro Icardi watches Inter from the stands 👀 pic.twitter.com/YrCJreALdk

— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 17, 2019

Here are the match highlights:

Icardi has missed Inter's last two matches in controversial fashion. As explained by Goal, the Nerazzurri have stripped him of his captaincy, and the Argentina international opted not to travel with the team to Austria for a UEFA Europa League contest.

Things have escalated since, as La Gazzetta dello Sport reported fans hit the car of his wife and agent Wanda Nara with a rock, per Marca. Inter fans also jeered the duo when television cameras spotted them in the stands on Sunday.

Icardi's sister has also gotten involved on social media:

Just Mauro Icardi arguing with his sister via Twitter...not much to see here. https://t.co/X1wB3XINDV

— John Solano (@Solano_56) February 16, 2019

The messy situation seemed to spell the end of Icardi's time in the Italian fashion capital, although Beppe Marotta has told Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia) Inter will still offer the 25-year-old a new contract.

Icardi has been the team's top forward for years, comfortably leading Inter in scoring since his arrival in 2013.

His form was spotty at best before he lost the captain's armband, however, and the Nerazzurri have been just fine without him:

Following the Icardi drama and with the striker in the stands, Inter scored two goals in a Serie A match for the first time since December 2nd. pic.twitter.com/ZCaU8K9ORj

— Serie A News (@TransfersCalcio) February 17, 2019

Star prospect Lautaro Martinez has stepped up in his absence, flashing the immense talent that prompted Inter to invest in the 21-year-old last summer. The Argentinian scored the winner against Rapid Wien in the Europa League.

Mauro Icardi was at the San Siro to watch Inter Milan's Serie A clash with Sampdoria on Sunday, with CEO Beppe Marotta confirming the club will offer him a renewal:

#Marotta: 'Removing #Icardi's armband was not a punishment. We will make an offer to Wanda to renew his contract' https://t.co/staQjQIgU9 pic.twitter.com/8x5nuCC1Wq

— CalcioMercato (En) (@CmdotCom_En) February 17, 2019

Icardi has been replaced as club captain by Samir Handanovic by manager Luciano Spalletti, which has fuelled speculation over his future.

Spalletti confirmed that Icardi was unavailable this weekend because of injury and was undergoing treatment, per Football Italia.

However, the striker was at the San Siro to watch his team in action:

Mauro Icardi watches Inter from the stands 👀 pic.twitter.com/YrCJreALdk

— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 17, 2019

Spalletti has said that removing the captain's armband from Icardi was a "very painful and difficult" decision, per Football Italia. He also said the decision was "not against Icardi, but in favour of Inter."

Icardi was not part of Inter's squad for their UEFA Europa League clash against Rapid Vienna on Thursday.

Spalletti told Sky Sport Italia (h/t Goal) that "Icardi was called up and has decided not to travel to Vienna."

Icardi responded to the events with a cryptic post on social media:

Mauro Icardi’s keeping quiet 🤐 pic.twitter.com/xjoS9RubGq

— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 14, 2019

The 25-year-old is an integral player for the Serie A side, but his contract expires in 2021 and he is yet to agree a renewal:

Mauro Icardi for Inter Milan in all competitions:

👕 208 games
⚽ 122 goals

The club's ninth highest scoring player ever. pic.twitter.com/oI0koqD6Hd

— Squawka (@Squawka) February 13, 2019

The Argentinian has been linked with a shock move to rivals Juventus after losing the Inter captaincy, per Goal. Manager Massimiliano Allegri offered his response to speculation his club could move for the striker.

"I don't know anything about the market. I prefer to go to the beach in the summer! The club takes care of the players and makes them available. Icardi is a forward who can score goals, but I leave the assessments to [Inter boss Luciano] Spalletti, who coaches him and knows him better." 

Premier League side Chelsea are also reportedly interested in Icardi, according to The Sun's John Hutchinson.

However, Real Madrid have dropped their interest as they do not want to deal with Wanda Nara, Icardi's wife and agent, according to Jose Felix Diaz at Marca.

Meanwhile, Nara, has attempted to "smooth things over" with a "series of conciliatory messages on Twitter," per Football Italia.

Icardi's presence at the San Siro on Sunday is likely to be viewed as a positive sign in the current seemingly volatile saga between player and club. Yet speculation over his future at the club can be expected to continue until his contract situation is resolved.

After being stripped of the Inter Milan captaincy, Mauro Icardi posted a cryptic message on Instagram on Thursday. 

It was announced on Wednesday that the forward would no longer wear the armband, with Samir Handanovic the new skipper. The decision only served to fuel speculation regarding Icardi's future, as he has yet to sign a contract extension at the San Siro.

Following the team's 1-0 win at Rapid Vienna in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, Icardi posted via social media:

Mauro Icardi’s keeping quiet 🤐 pic.twitter.com/xjoS9RubGq

— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 14, 2019

As Ben Spratt of Goal relayed, Icardi wasn't included in the squad for Thursday's match, with the player hinting that he was injured on social media. Manager Luciano Spalletti had earlier told Sky Sport Italia (h/t Goal) that "Icardi was called up and has decided not to travel to Vienna."

Per Spratt, since Handanovic was made captain, both Spalletti and sporting director Piero Ausilio described the decision to relieve Icardi of his responsibility as "painful."

The situation is far from ideal for the Milan outfit, as Icardi has been the leader of the team and also their most prolific goalscorer for several years. Per BT Sport Football, he's been a notably productive player in his time at the club:

∙ Stripped of club captaincy
∙ Out of Europa League tie

Mauro Icardi's future at Inter Milan is up in the air...

He's scored 122 goals in 210 appearances for the club 🔵⚫️ pic.twitter.com/y2bX14XFis

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 13, 2019

It's for that reason the club has been so keen to get him tied down to a new deal, which appears to have been the trigger for recent tensions.

Eurosport's Siavoush Fallahi noted that there's a sense of irony about what Icardi posted and was critical of the manner in which the player's wife and agent, Wanda Nara, has dealt with the situation:

This gets more stupid when you think of the fact that one of the reasons Mauro is getting stripped of the captains armband is Wanda saying things she shouldn’t 😂😂

— Siavoush Fallahi (@SiavoushF) February 14, 2019

Icardi's contract runs until 2021, so Inter are not under any immediate pressure to cash in.

Still, recent developments suggest all is not well for the striker at the San Siro, and you sense rumours regarding his future will ramp up between now and the end of the season. In the summer, it was reported by Jose Felix Diaz and David G. Medina of Marca that European champions Real Madrid were interested in the forward.

Losing Icardi would be a big blow given his goalscoring pedigree and previous affinity with the Nerazzurri, although Inter writer Nima Tavallaey said the club is more important than its former skipper:

Just a reminder to certain people: the club’s name is FC Internazionale Milano & NOT Mauro Icardi FC.
No one is bigger than @Inter_en.

— Nima Tavallaey Roodsari (@NimaTavRood) February 13, 2019

While Inter have a number of talented players and an emerging young forward in Lautaro Martinez, the loss of Icardi would be a setback as they seek to push Juventus at the summit of Italian football.

Now all eyes will be on the San Siro on Sunday, when Inter take on Icardi's former side Sampdoria. If he's not in the squad again, eyebrows will be raised.

Inter Milan confirmed on Wednesday that goalkeeper Samir Handanovic is the new club captain, replacing striker Mauro Icardi.

The news was posted in a social media bulletin:

The Club can confirm that Samir #Handanovic is the new Inter captain.#FCIM

— Inter ⭐⭐ (@Inter_en) February 13, 2019

The decision follows a turbulent few weeks for Icardi and the club, with the striker still yet to sign a new contract at the San Siro.

As Goal relayed, the striker's wife and agent, Wanda Nara, has previously said that the Argentina international is open to extending his deal with the club, although she has noted the Milan giants should be offering him more amid interest from Spain, England and France.

Goal added that European champions Real Madrid have been strongly linked with Icardi in the past.

On Saturday, Inter manager Luciano Spalletti said the player must "free himself" from the contract saga and encouraged the club's directors to bring an end to the stalemate, per the MailOnline's Max Winters. However, the decision made by Inter on Wednesday will only serve to fuel further speculation.

Broadcaster Mina Rzouki believes the way the club has handled this situation and others of late is not a good look:

How can a club and a brand grow and prosper and succeed when they make headlines practically every day. Icardi’s renewal, Nainggolan’s social media, Marotta’s confessions, Spalletti’s moans, Perisic wanting out. Chaos at every level. https://t.co/rVo7fHTivc

— Mina Rzouki (@Minarzouki) February 13, 2019

Goal's Carlo Garganese said he was disappointed with how this has been dealt with and put some of the blame on new chief executive Giuseppe Marotta:

https://twitter.com/carlogarganese/status/1095652830436831232

It's far from ideal for Inter. Although Icardi has a contract at the club until 2021, he's undoubtedly their most important player, and the Serie A outfit will understandably be concerned about interest.

Icardi may not be the quickest nor the strongest, but his anticipation and instincts in the penalty area make him one of the most potent goalscorers in European football.

The forward is on a barren run in Serie A, but he still has nine goals from 20 appearances; in the previous four campaigns, he's netted 91 top-flight goals.

It will be intriguing to see just how many more times he nets for the Nerazzurri this season, as you sense there will a reaction to this latest development.

Eurosport's Siavoush Fallahi thinks the time is now for Icardi to show he is committed to the Inter cause:

Icardi has always remained faithful to Inter, he's always stayed, he's always delivered. If he truly cares for Inter and the club, now is the time to show it. Very interesting to see how he reacts on all this.

— Siavoush Fallahi (@SiavoushF) February 13, 2019

Handanovic will surely do a decent job as captain, as he's experienced and well established as one of Serie A's most dependable goalkeepers. Having been at the club for seven years, he's also well attuned to what Inter supporters demand.

Even so, all the interest will be on Icardi next time he takes to the field. They're next in action on Thursday in the UEFA Europa League away at Rapid Vienna.  

Inter Milan chief executive Giuseppe Marotta has said there is no issue between the club and star forward Mauro Icardi regarding negotiations over a possible contract extension.

The forward's deal at Inter is set to expire in 2021, although recent speculation regarding the player's future has prompted some uncertainty about him signing for the long-term.

When asked about the player's situation, Marotta said he was not concerned that an agreement has not been reached yet and doesn't expect any hitches as Inter seek to tie their prize asset down, per Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Football Italia).

"Icardi's renewal isn't a problem whatsoever," he said. "We've already said what we had to say, beyond what we'll clarify with [manager Luciano] Spalletti. We'll manage the situation, but I can confirm that there won't be a problem."

Speaking to Tiki Taka (h/t Football Italia), Icardi's wife and agent Wanda Nara recently accused the San Siro club of not offering enough protection to the player "because sometimes nasty things have come out from inside."

That was after a report from Gazzetta dello Sport said Spalletti had made it clear he wanted urgent talks to be held in order to settle Icardi's long-term future. The manager said the Inter captain needs to "free himself" from the speculation surrounding his position, per MailOnline's Max Winters.

The talk surrounding Icardi's extension seems to be having a negative impact on his form, as he's not been his usual ruthless self in front of goal in recent games:

16 - Mauro #Icardi hasn't found the net with his last 16 total shots, a negative record for him of consecutive shots without score in his Serie A career. Difficulty.#ParmaInter

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) February 9, 2019

He has squandered clear openings in front of goal on numerous occasions this season:

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

While there won't be any immediate concern about the player leaving given he will still have two years remaining on his deal come the summer, the striker has reportedly been targeted by some high-profile outfits.

In the summer, it was reported by Jose Felix Diaz and David G. Medina of Marca that Real Madrid were interested in signing the striker.

Given his consistency in front of goal in recent years, links to clubs of that stature are not a surprise. Despite his goal drought at the moment, Icardi has proven himself as a razor-sharp finisher and someone capable of making a major impression in key moments of matches:

Inter will want the matter resolved as quickly as possible, as numerous key figures in the negotiation process are having their say on the stalemate in public.

Not only could the player and the club do without the distraction, Inter must keep players like Icardi around for as long as they can if they are going to become a force at the top of Italian football again.  

Inter Milan manager Luciano Spalletti has urged the club to resolve the contract situation of star striker Mauro Icardi, whose struggling form he says has been affected by the distractions off the pitch.

Icardi failed to score for the seventh Serie A match in succession as Inter won 1-0 at Parma on Saturday, and Spalletti attributed his lack of recent goals to the ongoing contract negotiations.

Spalletti said, per MailOnline's Max Winters: "Mauro is evidently seeing his performance affected by some situations that have been going on recently. He needs to free himself from the talk that is around him. The directors agreed to start talking about the contract, so now they need to go there and conclude it."

The barren run of seven league games without a goal is Icardi's worst drought since 2013 when he joined the club, but OptaPaolo noted it's not for a lack of trying:

16 - Mauro #Icardi hasn't found the net with his last 16 total shots, a negative record for him of consecutive shots without score in his Serie A career. Difficulty.#ParmaInter

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) February 9, 2019

The Nerazzurri remain third in Serie A and are now 20 points off leaders Juventus. Spalletti's side have the second-best defence in Italy—they've conceded only one goal more than Juve—but their attack has scored the joint-fewest goals of any team in the top seven (32).

Inter have scored a combined two goals in their last five matches across all competitions, and they've netted more than a sole goal just once in their last 12 games.

Icardi's current contract isn't due to expire until June 2021, but it's understood the two parties are making little progress in terms of signing an extension.

Get Italian Football News recently translated a post to Icardi's Instagram story, which suggested the club have yet to make him an offer he finds tempting:

Mauro Icardi on Instagram: “My [contract] extension will happen the moment when Inter presents me an appropriate and concrete offer.” pic.twitter.com/AytzodaOYm

— Get Italian Football News (@_GIFN) January 10, 2019

Stefan De Vrij has only been at the club since the summer, but he recently said he felt his captain was happy at the San Siro:

THE WALL! 🧱💪

- 'Amazing' Icardi happy at Inter 😊
- Suarez his toughest opponent 🇺🇾
- 'Incredible' De Ligt set for big future 👏

Check out our interview with @Inter_en defender @Stefandevrij! 🎥 pic.twitter.com/lOD6PTBWRm

— GOAL (@goal) February 2, 2019

Icardi scored a combined 55 goals over the course of the previous two seasons, but the former Sampdoria hitman has netted only 15 this term, nine of which have come in Serie A.

Spalletti would just as soon see his star's off-field matters come to an end so that he can get back to having his old impact on it, but the manager may be left waiting with no contract resolution in sight.