In an interview with French news outlet Le Figaro, Mauro Icardi has discussed all things PSG following his arrival from Inter on transfer deadline day of the Summer transfer window.

“I already knew some players before I arrived and that made things easier for me. I spoke with Marco Verratti on the phone before I arrived,” he explained, as he began by talking on how he has found his integration in the French capital.

“He gave me a hand to settle in, I have a good relationship with him on and off the pitch. I also travelled to Lyon with Kylian Mbappe. The truth is that this group of players is really excellent. Many speak Italian and Spanish, we understand each other. I have felt very good from day one here. I was also surprised by the welcome of the Parc des Princes. Since my first training session, the fans have shown me great affection. I didn’t expect it.”

He was then asked what he has made of his new teammates.

“They are all top players. It is a pleasure to develop amongst so many outstanding players. They can make a difference at any time, even in the last minutes, as Neymar did against Strasbourg and Lyon for example.”

The Argentine went on to reveal the expectations Thomas Tuchel has for him and what goals he has set himself.

“He wants me to score goals. My role is the same as Inter: to score. This is what matters most to an attacker. I’m lucky the coach makes me play. I think he sees me positively.

“I have had an excellent relationship with him since day one. He is very close to his players, he likes to make jokes and talk. It’s up to me to show that I can live up to a team like PSG.

“I don’t like to announce set goal targets but I just hope to continue scoring with the same rate as in recent years. I want to score, obviously, but above all to be decisive in important games.

“Ever since I was little, I live only to score goals and be a goal scorer. I’ve always been the best scorer in the youth teams.

“This ambition has grown with me. I hate losing in all areas. And in football, to win, you have to score goals. My model was Gabriel Batistuta. I’ve seen all his games, all his goals. He was my idol, my only idol in football.”

Next he was asked on how he is coping with pressure in Paris.

“I’m used to having pressure in Argentina and Italy. Here we have been lucky enough to win many games so far and when you win, everything goes well. In Italy, a vicious circle was created with part of the press, and they ended up talking a little too much about everything about me.”

He was then asked what he thinks the future will hold for him.

“I’m at PSG this season and my goal is to give my best for this shirt. At the end of the season, around May or June, we’ll see what happens. It’s still too early to say anything. I want to enjoy this season, score and win with PSG.”

He concluded by speaking on the difficulty of having to split his time between Paris and Milan.

“For now, I’m still in a hotel, but I have started looking for a home for my family. In Milan we live in the San Siro district. We have a new house being built for later, when I will no longer be a footballer. Milan is a beautiful city, a little smaller than Paris, which is just as beautiful in its own way.

“I have not had too much time to visit the city. I have went to see the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe and I will get to know the capital better. I’m a quiet boy. I like being at home as soon as I can.”