New Real Madrid manager Rafael Benitez is looking to bolster the squad for the upcoming 2015-16 season and even though he has incredible amount of talent at his disposal, he's set to be quite active in the transfer window as he looks to battle for the La Liga title and UEFA Champions League crown.

Real Madrid are always rumored to be looking for young, talented players and the latest one to be included on that list is Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi.

The 22-year-old Argentinean is coming off another stellar season for Inter and that has certainly caught Real's eye. According to Sport Mediaset, Benitez has asked to sign Icardi at all costs as he wants to increase the competition for the likes of Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Could Icardi's arrival spell the end for Bale?

It's unclear where Mauro Icardi would fit in Real Madrid, in the case that they land the Argentinean striker. Even though he has enough quality to be an asset for Los Merengues, the arrival of Icardi would certainly mean the end of either Gareth Bale or, most likely, Benzema's tenure with Real Madrid. Not to mention that the team are still planning to buy Alvaro Morata back, the presence of Jese Rodriguez and Rafa's idea of using Ronaldo as a lone striker.

As of now, nothing is official but the rumour is out there and Real Madrid might be able to sign the oft-criticized striker. Mauro Icardi has had several problems since joining Inter - both with teammates and fans - and even though few doubt of his quality as a player, he could benefit with a fresh start somewhere else.

Icardi joined Inter in the 2013-14 season after a successful stint with Sampdoria. He scored 27 goals in 48 matches for the neroazzurri this past season and has a very good track record overall with the Giuseppe Meazza outfit with 31 goals in 58 matches over two seasons.

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About the author
Juan Pablo Aravena
26-year-old Chilean sports journalist with three years of experience in different websites and platforms. Covering all four major sports for VAVEL USA, international soccer for VAVEL UK and Latin American Soccer for VAVEL LatAm.