Arsenal transfer news: Inter Milan 'hoping' for £50m bids for Gunners target Mauro Icardi

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James Benge29 July 2016

Inter Milan will consider selling club captain and Arsenal target Mauro Icardi for over £50million, the club’s owner Erik Thohir has said.

Icardi has been linked with both Arsenal and Napoli, the latter of whom face a pressing need for a new striker after Gonzalo Higuain joined Juventus for over £75m.

Arsenal’s need for a forward is no less significant, with Arsene Wenger confirming after his side’s 2-1 friendly victory over the MLS All Stars on Friday that he was eager to bring in an “experienced” forward.

The Gunners saw a £29.4m bid for Alexandre Lacazette rejected by Lyon and have also missed out on Jamie Vardy and Higuain. Icardi remains on Arsenal’s shortlist, with the forward’s wife and agent Wanda Nara claiming that Wenger was interested in bringing in the 23-year-old.

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Inter have previously claimed that they had no intention of selling Icardi but Thohir suggested the Nerazzuri could be tempted by a significant bid.

“All of us are hoping that number goes over €60m (£50.7m),” he said when discussing interest in Icardi. “But for us, that isn't important at the moment.

“Inter will be here for hundreds of years yet. Inter is made of individuals who can change. This happens every year.”

However Thohir did make clear that he viewed Icardi as a key component in Roberto Mancini’s side.

“He's a very important player for the team, he's our captain. We're building a team and we have to look at the dynamic.”

Icardi has scored 38 Serie A goals in 69 appearances over the past two seasons, tying Luca Toni for the league’s top scorer crown in 2015.

However Arsenal have previously shown reticence to spend heavily on strikers, with Wenger decrying the “scary” figures being offered by Premier League clubs in a summer where Manchester United seem set to sign the first £100m player in Paul Pogba.

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