Juventus wanted Icardi before Higuain, says Wanda Nara

Juventus wanted to sign Mauro Icardi instead of Gonzalo Higuain earlier this year, the Inter striker’s wife and agent Wanda Nara has claimed.

Higuain ultimately left Napoli for Juve in a massive €90million move in July, while Icardi was strongly pursued by Maurizio Sarri’s side as they sought a replacement.

Nara says her husband was in fact Juve’s first choice, although she is glad about how everything has worked out with a new long-term contract at San Siro reportedly on the brink of being announced.

“This year Juventus tried to sign him regardless of the price – and so did Napoli,” she told Gazzetta dello Sport.

“No one knows about how much money Mauro has given up to stay at Inter. Juve tried to get him until two minutes before midnight on the day they concluded with Higuain.

“The offer from Napoli was important and deserved respect. Aurelio De Laurentiis had offered me a movie. I said no, where would I find the time with five children?

“But the important thing is that the tension with Inter only lasted while negotiations were ongoing and today everything is just fine. They are all happy because Mauro wanted to stay.”

Inter captain Icardi, 23, has scored 53 Serie A goals in 98 appearances since signing from Sampdoria in 2013.