The transfer of Joao Mario to Sporting from the Nerazzurri was thought to be near completion, but significant complications have arisen over the transfer fee, according to to reports.
Today’s print edition of Lisbon-based newspaper Record are claiming that while there is strong will by all parties for the move to happen and the player wants to stay in the Portuguese capital, Sporting are not currently close to Inter’s valuation of the player.
The 28-year-old spent last season on loan with Sporting where he helped the club lift their first league title in 19 years.
After his positive experiences it was expected that the move would be made a permanent one, especially with Inter’s desire to offload fringe squad members for capital gains to help meet their financial objectives.
However, it is reported that the only offer from the Portuguese champions to Inter is for €4 million, rising to €5.5 million with bonuses, an amount quite far from Inter’s €7.5 million demand, reduced from an initial valuation of €10 million.
It is understood that the Poruguese’s agent Federico Pastorello is hard at work getting a move done, and that the player strongly wishes to stay in Lisbon, while Inter are growing impatient over the deal.
Sporting, on the other hand, are not thought to be in the same kind of rush, although they know that they could lose out on the player should Inter lose patience with them and look elsewhere to find a buyer for the midfielder.
