Juventus’ like-for-like swap offer involving Arthur Melo and Mauro Icardi has reportedly fallen on Paris Saint-Germain’s deaf ears. Per Gazzetta Dello Sport (via Canal Supporters), PSG have turned down the Italians’ bid to swap their misfits as they look to recoup the €60m they dashed out to sign him from Inter in 2020.
Despite earning a permanent contract after enjoying a stellar start to life at the Parc des Princes, Icardi has tumbled down the pecking order in the aftermath. The 28-year-old striker has become a bit-part player under Mauricio Pochettino, particularly in light of Lionel Messi’s blockbuster arrival from Barcelona in the summer.
Since the Argentine’s signing, Kylian Mbappe has shifted to a centre-forward role, pushing Icardi to the fringes in the French capital. The ex-Barcelona youth academy graduate has made just seven Ligue 1 starts this season, three of which came before Messi’s debut.
Desperate to reignite his career away from Ligue 1, Icardi could hand in a transfer request in the January transfer window. Though he has barely featured for PSG of late, he has plenty of suitors, with Juventus reportedly leading the race to capture his signature.
However, a lack of funds has forced the Bianconeri to explore several alternative solutions to convince Paris to sanction the deal. The latest in line was the idea of shipping out out-of-sorts midfielder Arthur to France as part of a straight swap deal that would bring Icardi back to Serie A.
Unfortunately, PSG have no intention of accepting the Brazilian as a makeweight in the deal. Hence, Juve will have to come up with another plan if they are to bring the highly-rated striker to the Allianz Stadium.
Alvaro Morata and Moise Kean have failed to live up to expectations this season, with both forwards falling short of Cristiano Ronaldo’s standards in Turin. A lack of firepower in the front third has forced Massimiliano Allegri to scan the market for potential attacking reinforcements.
Icardi has emerged as the Italian manager’s prime objective for the upcoming transfer window. But Juventus will have to dig into their pockets to get the deal over the line.