Real Madrid Ready to Test the Waters Over Prolific Inter Star Mauro Icardi With Benzema in Decline

Real Madrid are ready to take a look into signing Inter striker Mauro Icardi, with the Argentinian's buy-out clause an attractive proposition.

The 24-year-old, as things currently stand, is extremely vulnerable to being poached by a top European club because his buy-out clause is 'only' €110m.

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In today's market, that figure is definitely value for money, considering Neymar moved from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain last summer for £198m, and Paul Pogba, Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho have all moved for huge sums.

Icardi, who has also been linked with Premier League sides Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, is an ideal age and has already proven himself in a top five league as being a prolific marksman - he has 89 league goals for the Nerazzurri in four-and-a-half seasons with the club.

Marca claim Real are ready to make a move for the Rosario-born hitman, sicne they have the money to trigger the buy-out.

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The club are seemingly beginning to accept the fact that Karim Benzema is in a state of decline following a tremendous stint at the Bernabeu.

The Frenchman has been the main man for the past nine years at Real, but at 30 years of age he appears to be showing signs of slowing down - he only has five goals from 20 matches this season.

Captain Icardi is the main man at Inter, and it would certainly be a great show of ambition if he was to make the move to Los Blancos - should he eventually do that, he'd surely have to deal with comparisons to fellow countrymen Alfredo Di Stefano and Gonzalo Higuain; two men with very contrasting reputations in the eyes of Madridistas.