A massive wage gap shattered negotiations for the Argentine striker Mauro Icardi, forcing Olympiacos to pivot toward more affordable options after being stunned by his seven-million-euro valuation.
As reported by media outlet TransferFeed, Argentine striker Mauro Icardi was strongly linked to Greek side Olympiacos over the course of the summer. However, the deal fell off at the negotiation stage, with Olympiacos instead signing Chadian striker Marius Mouandilmadji, who last played for Turkish club Samsunspor. The media outlet wrote, “There were strong reports linking Mauro Icardi with Olympiacos before he signed with Marius. His financial demands were unreasonably high at the time, which complicated the possibility of a transfer. An offer of 3-4 million euros from the Piraeus club seemed insufficient for him.”
The exorbitant demands with regard to wages made by the Argentine were the main reason behind the failure of the negotiations. Olympiacos were reportedly shocked at the demand made by Icardi. TransferFeed wrote in an earlier report regarding the deal, “Olympiacos approached Mauro Icardi. The financial demands communicated by the Argentinian striker’s side surprised Olympiacos, and a significant gap remains.”
It was said that Icardi, whose contract demands hover around €7 million per year in wages, was not satisfied with Olympiacos’ offer of €3-4 million. Media outlet Gazzetta.gr had earlier reported that although Icardi was an available option for the Greek side, he was not a priority.
The 33-year-old Argentine, who started his senior career at Italian side Sampdoria, has played the majority of his career at Serie A side Internazionale Milano, for whom he scored 111 goals over 188 official league fixtures. However, he did not manage to win any major competition with the side. In 2020, Icardi moved to French club Paris Saint-Germain, where he was a part of the squad that won two Ligue 1 titles, two Coupe de France competitions, and two Trophée des Champions. In addition, Icardi was also part of the squad that won the 2019-20 Coupe de la Ligue.
In 2022, he joined Turkish club Galatasaray on loan, and permanently joined them in 2023. At Galatasaray, he won a further four Turkish Super League titles, and one Turkish Cup and Turkish Super Cup each.
It is to be noted that Mauro Icardi is currently out of contract with any club after his last contract with Galatasaray expired in 2026; he is currently a free agent. It remains to be seen whether the striker manages to find a club for himself, given the exorbitant demands he has made, which render any negotiations difficult for interested clubs. It is understood that the player will have to significantly reduce his wage demands if he wishes clubs to come for him and secure his services.
