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Few players have divided opinion in recent years quite like Mauro Icardi. A hugely talented player on the pitch, his career has been dogged by issues on and off the field. Mauro Icardi's record during his time at Inter Milan should have made him one of the hottest properties in world football.
In 219 appearances for the club, Mauro Icardi scored 124 times and gave 29 assists. Although he failed to win any trophies, he did pick up a host of individual awards. He was twice named in the Serie A Team of the Year, was the league's top scorer twice and was also the recipient of the Serie A Footballer of the Year in 2018.
However, Icardi's relationship with the club and its supporters soured, which saw him leave for the riches of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), initially on loan, for the 2019-20 season.
Mauro Icardi's PSG sojourn
Icardi impressed during his first season at the club, scoring 20 goals in 34 appearances across competitions as well as claiming four assists. He won a domestic treble and finished runner-up in the UEFA Champions League. Those performances were enough to secure him a permanent move to the French giants
Mauro Icardi would later find matches harder to come by as a combination of injuries and competition for places took their toll. Despite suffering a number of injuries in the 2020-21 season, Icardi would still manage to score 13 goals in all competitions, as well as claiming six assists, in just 28 appearances as he added another French Cup winners medal to his collection.
The arrival of Lionel Messi in the French capital really spelled the end for Icardi's time in Paris, with Icardi managing just five goals in all competitions and playing just 1,277 minutes. It was clearly not an option for a player of Icardi's considerable talent to spend so much time sitting on the sidelines and ahead of the 2022-23 season.
New manager Christophe Galtier made it clear Icardi was not going to be part of his plans for the new season, saying (via Daily Mail):
'Mauro has had very little playing time in the last few seasons, I think it is important for him to get back on track. I think it is important for him to get back into the game.'
The only question would be where Icardi would go, with top clubs seemingly no longer interested in the talented striker, seemingly put off by his troubles off the field.
The important thing for Mauro Icardi to get his career back on track was playing time. He needed minutes on the pitch to rediscover his goalscoring touch and remind the football world of his remarkable talents.
Mauro Icardi eventually found a new home at Turkish giants Galatasaray and is enjoying an excellent season at the club. He has played a key role in nine successive league victories which has seen the side open up a four-point gap at the top of the table. In just 10 appearances, Icardi has scored six goals and assisted four, averaging a goal involvement every 68 minutes.
It has been an impressive return to form for the talented striker. If he can maintain it between now and the end of the season, he could add more silverware to his trophy cabinet and start attracting the attention of Europe's biggest clubs once more.
