Man United beating Real Madrid to land this world-class Argentine would be a massive statement of intent

Why Man United must beat Real Madrid to sign Mauro Icardi in January

According to a report from Football Espana, Real Madrid have rekindled their interest in signing Inter Milan hitman Mauro Icardi.

Inter Milan failed to progress to the knockout rounds of the Champions League after being held to a draw by PSV Eindhoven last week. Failure to advance to the next round has paved the way for Real Madrid to make a move for Mauro Icardi in January as the Spanish giants lookout for a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo.

Mauro Icardi, 25, already has scored 12 goals for the campaign, including four in Inter’s Champions League group games. Now with Real Madrid reigniting their interest in the Argentine, Manchester United should rival the European champions for the player’s signature next month.

Manchester United are hardly lacking attacking options, with the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial all in the squad. Lukaku is the club’s first-choice striker and after a good debut season at Old Trafford, he has struggled with form and fitness this season.

The Belgian international has been in and out of the team in recent weeks but got himself on the scoresheet against Fulham. However, he found himself relegated to the bench for the following game against Arsenal. In a nutshell, Lukaku’s second season at United has not gone according to the scripts and without his goals, the Red Devils have floundered.

Lukaku clearly needs support up front, which Alexis Sanchez, signed amidst a lot of fanfare earlier in January from Arsenal, has failed to provide this season. So, signing a new striker in January would make complete sense for Solskjaer, and Mauro Icardi would fit the bill perfectly at United.

Icardi has developed into one of the best strikers in world football since his breakout 14/15 season at Inter. The prolific Argentine striker scored 29 goals last season and has 11 to his name already this campaign. His arrival would make Jose Mourinho’s side one of the most potent teams in the attack.

The Argentine is a technically-gifted player who is just deadly in front of the goal. Icardi combines his technical abilities with his sudden burst of pace and nimble feet to create space for himself. The 25-year-old is a player with a good eye for a pass and has the ability to play his teammates in behind the backline with incisive passes.

He likes to work in the channels in the final third and draws the defenders out from their positions, allowing others to pull the strings.

Read more: Jose Mourinho would solve Man United’s leaky defence by signing this 27-year-old wall – Opinion

Icardi has bagged over 20 goals in three of the last four seasons, highlighting his excellent finishing ability. If United are to add goals to the side, Icardi is the man to target. He is approaching the best years of his career and there is no better time to bring him to the Premier League.