Inter are likely to bid farewell to Joao Mario once and for all this summer, according to a report in the Italian media today.
Tuttosport’s print edition said Sporting CP have decided to make the midfielder’s loan move permanent by paying Inter the €10 million they want.
The Liga NOS leaders might ask for a discount given the difficult financial landscape during the COVID-19 pandemic, but in any case they seem inclined to re-sign the 28-year-old.
The potential stumbling block in negotiations is Joao Mario’s annual salary worth €2.7 million, which is too expensive for Sporting CP’s wage bill.
The Portuguese giants are only covering €1 million of that sum during this season’s loan deal, but they hope to get round the issue by spreading Joao Mario’s salary over four seasons.
His contract at Inter runs out in the summer of 2022 and there is obviously no chance of it being extended.
Joao Mario will also receive a signing-on bonus if and when he re-joins Sporting CP, who sold him to Inter for around €40 million in 2016.
Inter are convinced that they can sell him even if the deal with Sporting CP falls through, given that Joao Mario can put himself in the shop window during this summer’s European Championships.
