Having lost Vinicius Junior, 23, to injury, Real Madrid are targeting an unlikely striker. They are targeting Mauro Icardi (30-Galatasaray), who once dominated the Serie A scene, but has since fallen from grace after a series of public and personal problems with his wife, Wanda Nara.
Multiple media outlets, including Turkiye’s Photomak and Italy’s Tuttomercatoweb, reported on January 23 (KST) that “Real Madrid consider bringing in an experienced and reliable striker in January. Joselu, 33, is the only striker left in the squad, and Vinicius’ injury has prompted coach Carlo Ancelotti (64-Italy) to look to strengthen the forward line.”
Real Madrid, who parted ways with Karim Benzema (35-Aitihad) at the end of last season, have not been in the market for a striker. After signing Joselu on loan, the proven Primera Liga (La Liga) player hasn’t done much. Even without a frontline striker, Real Madrid has been cruising in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League (UCL) thanks to the performances of Jude Bellingham, 20, and Vinicius.
But the team received some unwanted news during the A-match: Vinicius, a key attacker for the team, went down in a deep tackle against Colombia and injured his thigh. The injury was serious enough to keep him out of the game, and doctors said he would need at least a month and a half to recover. Real Madrid was left without a striker, and the loss of a key resource has created an emergency.
The need for a striker is now urgent. However, signing a quality striker in the January transfer window is a long shot. What’s more, president Florentino Perez (76, Spain) and Ancelotti have been coy about January reinforcements. With Real Madrid unlikely to spend big, they’ve turned their attention to strikers in Europe’s smaller leagues.
One player Real Madrid have set their sights on is Icardi. Icardi has a history of impressive performances at big clubs, including stints at Inter and Paris Saint-Germain. Boasting excellent positioning and goal-scoring ability in the box, he was at the peak of his powers in 2014-15 and 2017-18, when he was Serie A’s top scorer. However, his wife, Wanda Nara, managed his contract while he was away from the big leagues due to frequent public and personal issues.
Real Madrid has been courting Icardi since his departure from the big leagues. “Real Madrid could offer Galatasaray €15 million to sign Icardi,” according to Tuttomercatoweb.
Icardi proved he’s still got it this season, opening the scoring against Bayern Munich and Manchester United in the UCL. His goal-scoring prowess has also been on full display in the Ligue 1, with 10 goals and two assists in 12 games. 아톰카지노