Juventus and Napoli failed to sign Icardi when he only cost €400k
This is according to Nunzio Marchione, who was working with the head of the Doria’s academy, Riccardo Pecini.
Speaking to Il Secolo XIX (via Itasportpress) ahead of Sampdoria’s clash with Inter, the intermediary said that “Pecini was very clever in nabbing him [Icardi] after both Juventus and Napoli, who had moved on him before, had rejected him.”
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“What struck me about Icardi? The fact that, at age 15, he was already mature and ready to live away from home. And he had that innate ability to move half a second before the defender to place himself where he was needed. You could see he was phenomenal.”
Icardi would end up moving to Sampdoria in 2011 for €400,000, and was then sold to Inter in 2013 for €6 million. He has gone on to become a huge star with the Nerazzurri.
Barcelona never made the most of the young Argentine’s talent, in part because the club was using a false nine, while Icardi was more of an out-and-out centre forward.
“So I became his agent, and his friend. Together with Ulisse Salvini, I promised that I’d find him a club in Italy. He dreamt of playing for Inter because he had grown up with a Zanetti poster, and I remember how happy we were when we celebrated the semi-final win at the Camp Nou. Deulofeu was next to us, and he couldn’t understand why we were celebrating”.