Icardi and Inter "far apart" in contract talks

The discussion between Inter Milan and Mauro Icardi regarding a contract extension has begun. However, both sides are currently far from reaching any kind of deal.

According to reports in Italy, talks between the club and the striker's agent were held on Sunday, with the view of extending Icardi's contract until 2019.

But there is a significant gap between Icardi's demands and what Inter is ready to offer, as well as the issue of the player's image rights. The former Barcelona youth player is currently earning around €1m, and is demanding a significant wage increase.

Inter are tightening their belt in terms of financial spending, and as such, they may not be in a hurry to agree to Icardi's demands. His current contract is set to expire in June 2018.

This situation has alerted other potential suitors, such as Chelsea, Liverpool, and Atletico Madrid.

As reported by The Daily Express, Jose Mourinho and Brendan Rodgers are paying a close attention to Icardi's situations as they hope to bring the forward to Premier League.

While Forza Italian Football reported that Inter may use Icardi as a makeweight in their attempt to sign midfielder Mario Suarez from Atletico Madrid.

It's still early days in the talks between the two sides, and there's no reason (yet) to believe that they won't sit down again some time soon to resume negotiations.