Last week, the Agent of Liverpool target Mauro Icardi confirmed that there is 'English interest' in the 20-year old Sampdoria striker, but is there any real chance of a summer move to the Premier League?
Speaking to Reporters last night, Sampdoria Director Carlo Osti provided an updated on Icardi's transfer status:
"Icardi is doing very well, but at the moment no club has come forward for him. He has a contract with us until June 2015, so there is still time to evaluate everything, including the possibility to extend the agreement. We'll see."
Liverpool have been linked with Icardi quite a few times this year. Most recently:
* The Daily Mail claimed that the Reds had made an enquiry about the striker.
* Sky Sports reported this week that Liverpool are following Icardi's progress.
Sampdoria Sporting Director Rinaldo Sagramola recently dismissed suggestions that a deal had already been struck with Inter Milan:
"I deny the reports. Inter have told us that they are interested, but there is some way to go before saying that we’ve sold him. We’re actually waiting for the boy to respond to our offer to extend his contract.”
Edoardo Garrone, The club's owner, also admitted that he may be forced to sell the youngster against his will. He told Blitz Quotidiano:
"I will decide at the appropriate time [about Icardi]. When I do I'll have to put aside my heart because a chairman cannot be influenced by the supporters. I will have to use my head [when considering his departure]"
€15m-rated Icardi spent 3 years at Barcelona before his €400k move to Sampdoria, and Manchester City manager Robert Mancini personally scouted the Argentina U20 international at in a recent game against Roma. After the game, Mancini enthused:
"He [Icardi] scored a great goal and moved very well and I must say I liked him"
Icardi's record of 8 goals/1 assist in 12 starts for Sampdoria is impressive, but players from Serie A never seem to perform well for Liverpool, and we've seen that with Andrea Dossena, Alberto Aquilani, and now, Fabio Borini.
What type of player is Icardi? This is how one Sampdoria fan who has 'watched most of his games this year' described him on the site last week:
"Icardi is an out and out striker. I know what you guys are thinking (Fabio Borini), but I have got to take a moment to let you know he is absolutely not what you are thinking of. He has every tool in the box. Devastating first touch, blazing speed, nose for the goal, can finish with both feet, thundering shot, good aerial threat and can head home no problem.
"What's most amazing about him is the kid just knows how to get the goals, even if he has to do it alone. When I saw that I realized this kid was a once in a generation guy. Oh, and he was 19 at the time, single handedly bringing his team past first place Juve, at Juve, unbelievable.
"This kid can do it all, and has the highest ceiling of any young striker in the world. Mark my words over the next decade he will be the best triker in world futbol. I would love for him to stay at Samp, but if you get him you better darn well pressure your club to start him immediately".
Comment courtesy of: Samp Insider
Jaimie Kanwar
NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)
Speaking to Reporters last night, Sampdoria Director Carlo Osti provided an updated on Icardi's transfer status:
"Icardi is doing very well, but at the moment no club has come forward for him. He has a contract with us until June 2015, so there is still time to evaluate everything, including the possibility to extend the agreement. We'll see."
Liverpool have been linked with Icardi quite a few times this year. Most recently:
* The Daily Mail claimed that the Reds had made an enquiry about the striker.
* Sky Sports reported this week that Liverpool are following Icardi's progress.
Sampdoria Sporting Director Rinaldo Sagramola recently dismissed suggestions that a deal had already been struck with Inter Milan:
"I deny the reports. Inter have told us that they are interested, but there is some way to go before saying that we’ve sold him. We’re actually waiting for the boy to respond to our offer to extend his contract.”
Edoardo Garrone, The club's owner, also admitted that he may be forced to sell the youngster against his will. He told Blitz Quotidiano:
"I will decide at the appropriate time [about Icardi]. When I do I'll have to put aside my heart because a chairman cannot be influenced by the supporters. I will have to use my head [when considering his departure]"
€15m-rated Icardi spent 3 years at Barcelona before his €400k move to Sampdoria, and Manchester City manager Robert Mancini personally scouted the Argentina U20 international at in a recent game against Roma. After the game, Mancini enthused:
"He [Icardi] scored a great goal and moved very well and I must say I liked him"
Icardi's record of 8 goals/1 assist in 12 starts for Sampdoria is impressive, but players from Serie A never seem to perform well for Liverpool, and we've seen that with Andrea Dossena, Alberto Aquilani, and now, Fabio Borini.
What type of player is Icardi? This is how one Sampdoria fan who has 'watched most of his games this year' described him on the site last week:
"Icardi is an out and out striker. I know what you guys are thinking (Fabio Borini), but I have got to take a moment to let you know he is absolutely not what you are thinking of. He has every tool in the box. Devastating first touch, blazing speed, nose for the goal, can finish with both feet, thundering shot, good aerial threat and can head home no problem.
"What's most amazing about him is the kid just knows how to get the goals, even if he has to do it alone. When I saw that I realized this kid was a once in a generation guy. Oh, and he was 19 at the time, single handedly bringing his team past first place Juve, at Juve, unbelievable.
"This kid can do it all, and has the highest ceiling of any young striker in the world. Mark my words over the next decade he will be the best triker in world futbol. I would love for him to stay at Samp, but if you get him you better darn well pressure your club to start him immediately".
Comment courtesy of: Samp Insider
Jaimie Kanwar
NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)
who made that comment his dad.....ps its italian players who dont perform ....ive never really watched the kid ..but its defenders we need
ReplyDeleteI agree it is defenders that we need and surely a centre back or two has to be a priority in the summer. But, after we've solved that problem do we persist with Borini who has only scored one goal all season or bring another striker in. I'm not sure myself, I feel a bit sorry for Borini because he's had terrible luck with injuries but prior to that he hadn't shown anything that suggested he could be a top class striker. Then again Lucas didn't show anything in his first season and look at him now. If we could get this striker for a reasonable price he might be worth a punt.
ReplyDeleteSo because we need defenders we should neglect other areas of the squad?! Its that kind of blinkered narrow-minded view that has seen us fall off the pace in recent years. There is no area of our (or any other) squad that cannot be improved. Full stop.
ReplyDelete^^ By your definition of improving the squad, are you suggesting we should replace Steven Gerrard or Luis Suarez?
ReplyDeleteThat's negative logic, mate, and makes no sense. You don't improve a team by replacing it's best 2 players; you bring in reinforcements to play alongside them.
ReplyDeleteYes, I know you can replace with better but whom, within our price range, could we get to improve on Gerrard & Suarez?
yep i think he does. and replace suarez and sturridge too.
ReplyDeletedont look at holes just keep replacing the whole team
totally agree, plus as funds will clearly be tight, its best to spend them on the weakest areas, and attack aint one of them.
ReplyDeleteThat was my post from last week. Gilstrap, good burn, but no I'm not his father.
ReplyDeleteMy grandfather lived in Sampierdarena and I grew up a Samp fan. Which makes me one of the few English speaking people following this lad, evidently.
I have seen some great strikers come through the Samp system, going all the way back to Mancini and Vialli, through players like Montella, Quagliarella, and most recently Cassano and Pazzini. I can honestly endorse Icardi as having another gear none of those strikers could hope to find.
I am simply that high on this kid. The author removed the part of my post where I pointed out Samp were down 1-0 to Juve at Juve, and down to ten men due to a defender being sent off, and that's when Icardi struck twice, past Gigi Buffon. The first goal was called a "goalie error" by Buffon. To me it looked more like shock that this 19 year old kid uncorked the shot from there and got that much on it. The second shot, as Icardi said himself after the game, "was put precisely in the one place where it needed to go."
How many strikers in the world can you imagine dragging their team that's down a man and a goal to first place regining Serie A champions Juventus, on their home turf, to a 2-1 victory? And Sampdoria were struggling at the bottom of the table at the time. Since he has been given the reigns they have become the hottest team in Serie A, and are now in the top half of the table in their promotion year. I have a hard time imagining any other individual player being able to accomplish these "single-handed" feats for his club. Celtic surely doesn't have a guy like that (5-0 goal aggregate victory shows Juve are no slouches, and that they have a great defensive unit. Icardi made them look slow and a step too late all game long)
Below is a link of a video you should take two minutes to watch. The vignette begins with his first ever appearance at Sampdoria, as a subsitute in Serie B game last year (Sampdoria were down in the lower division last season). As you will see he scores the winning goal in his first ever senior appearance. Without that goal, Sampdoria would still be down in Serie B. The next highlight you will see is his first Serie A start, which took place just before the new year, to cross town rivals Genoa. He is promptly elbowed in the ribs (be sure to catch that in the video) as a welcome to the big leagues gesture. He then picks himself off the pitch, plays phenomenally, and scores the goal that ices the game. (Sampdoria hadn't beaten Genoa in 5-6 years).
What follows is his four goal "poker" performance against one of the other newly promoted outfits, Pescara. Sure it's not the greatest oppononent, but please note how blazing fast this kid is, and watch how he rounds the keeper, cool as you like, at age 19.
Perhaps I haven't made you a believer, but I'm drinking the kool-aide. If I were a Liverpool fan, I would be salivating at the opportunity to purchase this kid for as little as 15 million euro. (by the way, I am fairly certain his agent is demanding a summer move. Looking virtually certain Samp will sell). I would pressure my club like crazy to make this move.
And I stand by my statement, "mark my words, over the next ten years Icardi will be the most prolific striker on the planet" (or however I put it.
(Watch out when he pairs with Messi in attack for Argentina for the next 2-3 world cups).
Thank's author, for reading my post and including it in your article.
Below is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afAbfM32L8k
We might even end up being forced to keep Borini, he'd have to be a real punt for any team that would offer near what we paid for him. Like you said though he might bed in and prove his worth, he seems to me like he could become a bit like another Kuyt for us... Personally, I'm not sure either.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see Iker Muniain, from A Bilbao, in red if we do go for another forward. He's got BR written all over him so much that his tongue might actually be tattooed on his backside. He'd fit perfectly into our attack and might give the balance and depth to be able to sell Shelvey. Kjaer would seem to make sense for CB as him and Agger have a good knowledge of each others game already, he's not too shabby either, better than Skertl imo. I think getting the right CB could be difficult thing cause that's not a pairing we want to be bedding in and still learning to play together during the early part of next season. Other than Kjaer though I've got no clue really
I am unsure who Liverpool will bring in but there is a few quality defenders on the cheap they could look at, and with a few sales there is no reason why they could not get this lad.
ReplyDeleteGET HIM
ReplyDeleteMeh, I think people go too far on this 'Players from Italy don't make it'. There are plenty that have. Just need some common sense. Like with Veron- in Italy he has a free role, don't expect him to come over here and fill in for Roy Keane. As for Liverpool's ones- Dossena was just a fat bloke who we played in a different role to the one he had excelled at (he was a wing-back in Italy, not a full back), the problem with Aqua wasn't his performances, which were pretty good, it was everything else and Borini hasn't looked up to much, but you can hardly say he has had a run in the side, can you? I think he has only played centre-forward twice for us.
ReplyDeleteI can't say I've seen much of this guy, but people seem to be raving about him. If Borini goes, which he surely will, we'll need another striker.
u are right ,i saw that my self , Iker Muniain is the fantastic
ReplyDeleteIt's always good to have young talented players in your back, but I don't think without CL (may be Europe), next year we can't afford to keep a highly paid forward as 3rd/4th choice back up; when we have 4 top quality young forwards (Yesil, Ibe, Morgan & Adjorne, may be Sinclair) waiting at the wings. & we might also have to pay salary (or buyout the contract) for a Donkey, who, by everyday depreciating at an alarming rate. We have at least 3 areas to improve for starting XI - a CB, a DM (neither Allen or Henderson should start) & a winger. Then comes the backup for few other spots.
ReplyDeleteHowever, if we can crack a deal which loans Icardi to Sampdoria, he can be a great signing for us. The video clippings actually don't tell the real story about how good a player Icardi can be. Outstanding with first touch, he is fast, low centre of gravity, extremely quick with or without ball & probably ambidextrous in shooting. If we had the money, I would have definitely gone for 4 U20 boys from Italy - Pogba, Icardi, El Sharaway & Niang. All 4 of them 'll be potential superstar of WC '22, or even in '18.
I don't agree with the comment that Italian players don't do well in England. Apart from last 8-10 years, Seria A had always been rated either higher or at per with PL & hardly any top Italian player had come to UK ever. Taibi, Dossena, Casagharaghi, Di Canio, Di Matteo or Acqualini doesn't represent the real Italy, even though some of them have done really well. Ballotelli had other issues, but nobody 'll deny that he was an outstanding prospect & Acqualini was unfortunate to be brought by a Spanish Manager to play the game on grass but then got 2 Managers who thought it was better in sky.
ReplyDeleteIn last 20 years, I don't think had the likes of Zenga, Maldini, Baresi, Mancini, Bergomi, Donadoni, Vialli, Conte, Pagliuca, Vieri, Inzaghi, Chieasa, Toldo, Albertini, Costacurta, Nesta, Canevaro, Gattuso, Montella, Zambrotta, Luca Toni, Panuchhi, Chellani, Baggio, Del Piero, Totti, Pirlo, Cassano, Gilardino, Di Natale, Mota, De Rossi etc. played in England, the Italian connection would have been that bad. But, then these players had AC, Inter, Juve, Roma, Lazio, Perma, Napoli etc. to play for along with some of the best global talents & at a very good money.
Kjaer is a donkey.
ReplyDelete