Inter Chief Piero Ausilio Confident in Retaining Mauro Icardi Amidst Real Madrid Talk
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Inter Milan's director of sport Piero Ausilio has insisted that captain Mauro Icardi wants to remain in Italy for a long time, despite reported interest from European champions Real Madrid.
Icardi, who signed a contract extension last October, is contracted until 2021, but has been linked with a big-money move to Real Madrid, in the wake of his excellent form for a high flying Inter Milan side.
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Inter currently sit at the top of Serie A after a 3-1 victory over Caligiri this weekend, as the Argentine scored a brace to take his goal tally up to 15 for the season.
The 24-year-old registered 24 league goals last season and is already at 15 this year, making him a welcomed addition to Los Blancos, however, Ausilio believes that Icardi will remain at Inter as he claimed:
"With Icardi's contract, it's not an issue of release clauses, it's about what he wants to be, and he wants to be important for Inter. He wants to stay here for a long time and win. We've never moved from that position either.
La respuesta de Zidane sobre si el Real Madrid se reforzará en el mercado de invierno https://t.co/23wDqtjXM9
— Real Madrid Pro (@RealMadridPro) November 26, 2017
"It might seem like Icardi is a revelation as a man and a captain, but it's no surprise for us. We built a project around him some time ago and he gives back a great deal. The statistics show we made a wise investment.
"The rules state the maximum length for a contract is five years, so we can't give him a lifetime contract now. Maybe he could just have many renewals.
¿Qué te parece? https://t.co/FxruaQ5vkD
— Real Madrid Pro (@RealMadridPro) November 25, 2017
"We have to build the future, as two years ago we started strong and then finished fourth, which nowadays would be worth Champions League qualification. These are experiences we look to and hope made us a better side.
"A team builds confidence week by week. We realised Luciano Spalletti has an important project here and everyone believes in it. Now the team goes out on to the field and knows what it’s meant to be doing.
"Inter are strong, but we want to be strong in terms of more than just big names and prestige, but also for the work we've done."
Inter Milan are intent on keeping their number nine and have even considered bumping up his release clause which currently sits at £100m, as they've deemed that too cheap in a market where Neymar was sold for around £200m.