On Tuesday, December 2 it was reported that rumours in Italy were circulating that Inter were working on a deal to bring former Captain Mauro Icardi back to the club in January.

Naturally, social media flew. Fans of Inter generally have very mixed opinions about Icardi, either that they never want him to play for the club again or that they would welcome him back with open arms. In the midst of this excitement, fans noticed on Mauro Icardi’s ‘Happy New Year’s’ Instagram post that his caption read, “Family, love and new opportunities. This is how my 2024 begins”. What exactly did he mean by “new opportunities”?

Well, these rumours were debunked hours later by FCInter1908 Director, Daniele Mari on his Instagram stories, stating, “To a direct question, the answer was: ‘almost impossible’”- and included a picture of the Inter logo and a picture of Icardi himself. An unsurprising end to some farfetched rumours.

If this wasn’t enough for some believers who were still holding on, Italian journalist Pasquale Guarro via the FCInter1908 Twitch livestream, said that these rumours were fake news. Interestingly, he went on to explain that the reason Icardi’s return to Inter is so difficult is simply due to the club’s financial situation. He continued by saying that neither party has any hard feelings for each other, despite what happened years ago.