Former Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti believes skipper Mauro Icardi should be on a higher wage package with the Nerazzurri after being one of their most consistent performers over the past few seasons. The Argentina international currently has a contract until the summer of 2021 but the club have recently sought to extend his deal with the means of increasing or potentially cancelling £96m release clause.

However, their efforts have gone to vain up to date with his representative rejecting the advances and Moratti feels the striker has the right to demand a better wage amid his exploits over the past five-and-a-half seasons, he said: “I think Icardi has the right to think about receiving a higher salary, but I also think the club have a strategy to make sure he stays at Inter. We have this story about Icardi’s contract extension every year. Would I have given him the €8-9 million Wanda is asking for if I were still president? I wouldn’t know how to compare the sums of money from the past and those of today.”

“Icardi was hugely instrumental towards the Nerazzurri’s return to the Champions League after a six-year wait last term after he scored 29 goals through the league campaign“. The current season has not gone the same way with just nine goals during the first half of the season but he has nonetheless “scored crucial late goals“ which have kept the Nerazzurri comfortably in the top four race.

The San Siro outfit are currently positioned third on the table and they have an eight-point advantage over cross-town rivals AC Milan, who are presently just outside of the Champions League qualification positions. The Nerazzurri return to action after the winter break with a Coppa Italia round of 16 tie against Benevento this weekend. The Milan giants did not the double over the Italian minnows during the previous campaign.