Borussia Dortmund interested in signing PSG forward: Reports
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) striker Mauro Icardi is on the radar of Borussia Dortmund this summer, according to journalist Hadrien Grenier.
The Argentina international made his name at Inter Milan, where he scored 124 goals and provided 29 assists in 219 games across all competitions. He left Milan for Paris in 2019 on a season-long deal but failed to get regular starts during his debut season.
Nevertheless, PSG decided to exercise their option to buy the striker permanently in the summer of 2020 and agreed on a €52 million fee with add-ons with Inter.
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The pattern continued last season as Icardi struggled to make himself an important part of Mauricio Pochettino's team. The 29-year-old managed just 10 Ligue 1 starts over the course of the last campaign. He featured in 30 games across all competitions last season, scoring five goals.
Dortmund can offer him an escape route from the Parc des Princes as they continue to scour the market for a striker. The German outfit signed Sebastian Haller this summer, but a testicular tumor has ruled him out of action indefinitely.
BVB also lost Erling Haaland to Manchester City during the current window, after the the latter activated the player's €75 million release clause. The Bundesliga side were, however, quick to bring in Karim Adeyemi from RB Salzburg for a €38 million fee with add-ons. It remains to be seen if they will formalize their interest in Icardi in the coming weeks.
It is still early days in their pursuit of the former Sampdoria centre-forward and it is believed that nothing is at an advanced stage right now. Meanwhile, the FIFA World Cup in Qatar draws closer with each passing day.
Icardi would know that being a regular starter at club level would aid his desire to make Lionel Scaloni's 26-man shortlist later this year. Dortmund have also qualified for next season's UEFA Champions League by finishing second in the table last season.
Barcelona president makes big Lionel Messi claim as PSG deal enters final year
Lionel Messi's move to PSG last summer was one of the most spectacular pieces of transfer news in recent memory. Barcelona failed to renew the Argentine's contract due to their crippling financial situation.
On this day in 2008, Lionel Messi took Barcelona's legendary No. 10 shirt from Ronaldinho ✨ https://t.co/DIBOSkyPZp
He signed a two-year contract with the Parisians with the option of another year. Messi is currently into the final year of the contract with PSG and is yet to make any announcements concerning the extension.
Speaking to ESPN (h/t the Mirror), Barca president Joan Laporta said that he hopes Messi's chapter with the Blaugrana is not over. He said:
“I believe, I hope and I wish that Messi’s chapter at Barcelona isn’t finished. I think it is our responsibility to ensure that this chapter is always open, and that it hasn’t been closed, and that it has a more splendid ending to the one he had.”
He added:
“Am I indebted to him? Morally, as the president of Barcelona, I think I did what I had to do. But also as Barcelona president and on a personal level, I think I’m indebted to him.”
There is no doubt that Barcelona fans would welcome Messi back with open arms. Whether the Catalan giants have the financial bandwidth to sign the 33-year-old is a whole different question, however.