Inter midfielder Joao midfielder looks set to join Benfica for a fee of €7.5 million.
This according to today’s print edition of Lisbon-based newspaper Record, who report that the 28-year-old has reached an agreement with the Portuguese giants and will sign his contract soon.
Mario is a player the Nerazzurri are thought to have wanted to move on in the summer, with the midfielder’s wages considered to be too high for a player not in the first-team plans of Simone Inzaghi.
The 28-year-old spent last season on loan with Benfica’s city rivals Sporting, and it is thought that his preference was to make his stay with the club permanent.
However, negotiations between Inter and Sporting broke down over the Portuguese champions’ unwillingness to meet the Nerazzurri’s demands for the player.
With Sporting out of the picture, several interested clubs were in talks to potentially sign the midfielder, including the likes of Nice, Villarreal, and Besiktas, but it looks to be Sporting’s Lisbon rivals who have jumped in and sealed the deal for the midfielder.
Mario is ready to join Benfica, and will sign a contract with the Portuguese club until 2026.
