Icardi extends Inter stay with 5-year deal

Inter Milan supporters can breathe a sigh of relief after highly-coveted goal-machine Mauro Icardi put pen to paper on a new five-year contract Friday.

The deal will see Icardi on Inter's books through summer 2021 after terms initially had his contract expiring in 2019, according to a statement on the club's website.

Icardi's new deal is a massive coup for a club looking to again secure its place among the continent's best after having missed out on the Champions League in each of the last four seasons.

Linked with a move away from the San Siro in the summer, with both Premier League sides and Napoli reportedly interested in the 23-year-old Argentine despite the protestations of manager Frank de Boer, Inter has sent a clear message: Icardi is not for sale.

Icardi has topped Inter's goal charts the last two seasons, with the 22 league tallies in 2014-15 good enough for Serie A joint-best with Luca Toni, making the once-capped La Albiceleste the youngest player to lead Italy's top flight in scoring.

Since joining Inter in 2013 after a spell with Sampdoria, Icardi has scored 54 goals in 114 appearances for the club, including six this season, good enough for joint-top with Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain and AC Milan's Colombian international Carlos Bacca.

Even with the new long-term deal, Europe's biggest clubs are likely to keep tabs on the dynamic goal scorer, and Inter appears weary of this fact, with reports out of Italy courtesy of Icardi's wife and manager Wanda suggesting the inclusion of a massive buyout clause. According to several reports in Italy, Icardi's representatives have confirmed that a €110-million release clause has been inserted in the deal.

Icardi's new deal will reportedly pay him €5.5 million per season, making him Serie A's second-highest compensated player behind Roma's Daniele De Rossi (€6.5 million). Higuain is also on €5.5 million per year.