Sporting CP have asked Inter for compensation of €30 million over the transfer of midfielder Joao Mario to Benfica in the summer of 2021.
This according to Italian news outlet FCInterNews, who report that the Nerazzurri are exploring the matter with their lawyers and have no intention of paying the amount asked for.
Mario made the move from Inter to Benfica last summer, terminating his contract with Inter and then joining the Lisbon-based team.
The 29-year-old had spent the previous season on loan with Benfica’s city rivals Sporting, the team he had initially joined Inter from during the summer of 2016.
Sporting were widely expected to sign Mario on a permanent basis last summer, but were unable to agree a deal with Inter.
Benfica then swooped in to sign the 29-year-old.
Sporting believe, however, that in the deal that saw Mario join Inter in 2016 there was a clause that prohibited them from letting him join one of their rivals in the Portuguese top flight.
Accordingly, the Portuguese team believe that they are entitled to compensation of around €30 million over the matter from Inter.
