Mauro Icardi switches to PSG on four-year deal


Steve Luckings
  • English
  • Arabic

Paris Saint-Germain have triggered the option to sign Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi on a permanent basis.

The Argentina international spent the 2019/20 season on loan at the Ligue 1 club, which was cancelled last month due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Parisians were subsequently awarded the title.

"Paris Saint-Germain are delighted to announce the signing of Mauro Icardi on a permanent deal, following the striker's loan from Inter Milan during the 2019-2020 season," the French club said.

Given the current economic situation the French champions succeeded in reducing the fee "to under" €60 million (Dh245m), as opposed to the €70 million initially requested, according to reports in France and Italy.

Icardi, 27, has signed a four-year contract with the French champions, with PSG suitably impressed with the striker's return of 20 goals in 31 appearances despite competing with Edinson Cavani, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar for a starting place.

Uruguayan striker Cavani, 33, the club's record goalscorer, is out of contract next month and has been linked with a move to Spain with Atletico Madrid as well as a return to Italy, possibly to replace Icardi at Inter.

Inter manager Antonio Conte made clear to Icardi last summer that he was not part of his plans, with Romelu Lukaku signed from Manchester United for big money. The Belgium international went on to forge a prolific partnership with Lautaro Martinez before Serie A was also halted by the Covid-19 outbreak.

"The club thanks the player for the six seasons he spent with us and wishes him the best for his future professional career," Inter Milan said in a statement.

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The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

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Did you know?

Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.

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The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

Tuesday results:

  • Singapore bt Malaysia by 29 runs
  • UAE bt Oman by 13 runs
  • Hong Kong bt Nepal by 3 wickets

Final:
Thursday, UAE v Hong Kong

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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood

Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.

Global Fungi Facts

• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil