Torino eye shock Icardi return, striker ready for pay cut | OneFootball

Torino are evaluating Mauro Icardi for the January transfer window. The Argentine striker, whose deal with Galatasaray is running down, would be willing to return to Italy to be closer to his family. Here are the scenario and conditions of the deal.

Torino, contact with Icardi for a sensational Serie A return: the Argentine ready to take a pay cut to come back to Italy

From Turkey comes a transfer rumor that could shake up the next winter window: Torino have initiated first contacts with Mauro Icardi to assess a possible return of the Argentine striker to Serie A.

The 32-year-old, currently at Galatasaray, has a contract expiring in June 2026 and is reflecting on his future. According to reports, a renewal with the Turkish club “is not currently on the table,” as recently stated by president Dursun Ozbek.

Icardi’s numbers at Galatasaray

Arriving in Istanbul in the 2022/23 season, Icardi has maintained an extremely high level of performance: 66 goals in 96 official matches, contributing decisively to winning the league title.

At the start of this season, despite starting only three league games, he has already scored five goals, confirming an enviable effectiveness in front of goal.

The goal: return to Italy for family reasons

Behind a possible departure from Turkey there wouldn’t be only sporting reasons. Icardi, in fact, would like to return to Italy to be closer to his daughters, born from his marriage to Wanda Nara, with whom he has maintained a civil relationship despite their separation.

A motivation that, together with nostalgia for Serie A, would push the former Inter captain to seriously consider a return to our league.

Torino are thinking about it: Baroni is looking for an experienced goalscorer

According to sources close to the club, the player’s entourage has offered Icardi to several Italian teams, including Torino.

President Urbano Cairo and the Granata management are reportedly evaluating the move, aware that the current attack — with just six goals in five matches — needs an experienced leader and a finisher of international calibre.

Coach Marco Baroni, focused on giving solidity to the project, sees Icardi as the ideal profile to raise the attacking quality.

The economic hurdle: €6 million salary, but Icardi open to a cut

The main sticking point remains the wages: the striker currently earns around €6 million net per season at Galatasaray, a figure beyond Torino’s means.

However, according to sources close to the player, Icardi would be willing to reduce his salary in order to return to Serie A, potentially accepting a shorter contract with bonuses tied to performances and goals scored.

A sign of openness that has led Torino to schedule a meeting with his agent to gauge the feasibility of the move as early as the January window.

Icardi, the return of the goal machine: his past in Italy

Raised in Sampdoria’s youth system and exploding at Inter, Icardi left a deep mark on our league: 219 total goals, including 29 in the 2017/18 season, which earned him the Serie A top scorer title.

In 2019 he left Italy for Paris Saint-Germain, before moving to Galatasaray. Today, after six years abroad, the Argentine striker dreams of returning to where he made his name, perhaps in an ambitious setting like Turin.

Outlook and scenarios

Torino are studying the economic and technical feasibility of the move, but the interest is real. A signing like Icardi would bring visibility, international experience and goals, but would require a significant financial commitment, possibly with a contribution from the Turkish club for the final part of the season.

Negotiations are still at an early stage, but the player’s willingness and the openness of his entourage suggest a plausible scenario: Icardi back in Serie A, this time in Granata colors.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.