PSG set price for Mauro Icardi amid Juventus links

Paris Saint-Germain have set a price tag of £35m for wantaway striker Mauro Icardi, with Juventus tipped as favourites to land his signature.

Icardi has had a mixed time of it in France following his melodramatic fallout with Inter two years ago. He was productive on loan last season, scoring 20 times in 34 appearances, but things have gone pear-shaped since the deal was made permanent in July.

The Argentine took a while to get up to speed after missing the start of the season due to Covid and he has struggled to get any momentum going since.

Two fairly serious injuries limited him to just five Ligue 1 appearances before the turn of the year and he was recently ruled out of both legs of their Champions League tie with Bayern Munich due to a separate thigh problem.

His lack of progress seems to have left everyone frustrated and reports in France, first relayed in the UK by The Mail, suggest that his representatives are pushing for a move away.

This comes just a year after PSG paid €50m (£43m) to sign him permanently, but there doesn't seem to be too much resistance from Paris, who are believed to be open to selling him for a reasonable price.

While L'Equipe say PSG want to recoup the entirety of the fee they paid to Inter, Italian outlet Calcio Mercato claim they would settle for the slightly lower price of €40m (£35m).

The two reports seem to agree that Juventus looks like his most likely landing spot. In Italy, it's claimed that he 'likes' the idea of joining the Turin giants, while the feeling in France is that Juve are keen on a deal, but may wait to see if they can negotiate a lower price.

Should Juventus not come off, AC Milan is touted as another option, while the Mail have pushed the idea of Premier League interest, though it's not clear how much basis this has.

Manchester City are on the lookout to replace Sergio Aguero, while it's generally believed Chelsea are looking to strengthen their striking options. Whether either club would take a risk on Icardi remains to be seen, though - now 28, he comes with a history of attitude problems, while his fitness record this season leaves a lot to be desired.

There is also the small matter of his huge salary. L'Equipe say he takes in €10m per year, which puts him on around £180,000 a week. No small investment by anyone's standards.