Arsenal link with Mauro Icardi seems little more than contract ploy

Arsenal have been linked, with a number of other teams, with the Argentinian striker Mauro Icardi, with the Gunners set to offer £46m for the Inter Milan man according to Gazetta Dello Sport. The possibility of a move stems from contract issues, as Gazetta reports:

Mauro Icardi's contract demands have thrown the Inter frontman's future into question, with both Napoli and more recently Arsenal linked with a summer move.

According to Wanda Nara, the player's wife and agent, "Atletico Madrid, Tottenham and Arsenal have made contact. Napoli and Roma are also interested now."  Finally, Gazetta's report concludes that Inter are working on a new contract for Icardi to prevent their captain from leaving.

Icardi would unquestionably be a solid alternative to Olivier Giroud, but the likelihood of a move seems unlikely. All signs point to Icardi purely wanting a new contract out of Inter Milan, and in such situations, Arsenal are normally named as an interested team. That three teams have made contract, along with interest from Napoli and Roma, only makes that case more likely. Transfers where there is a strong chance of a player leaving usually don't have five interested teams. Rather, the amount of interest is to force Inter's hand.