Could Tottenham Hotspur have the former West Ham United loanee next season?
If Joao Mario is playing his football in London next season, it might not be with West Ham United.
The Portuguese play-maker spent the second half of last season wearing claret and blue after moving on loan from Inter Milan, scoring twice in 12 Premier League starts and impressing with his balance and vision in possession.
Calciomercato say that Inter will let Mario leave this summer, although the Milan giants are demanding a fee of around £26 million, more than West Ham are willing to pay, which has cast doubt on a potential permanent move.
But what are the chances of Mario wearing the colours of West Ham’s biggest rivals when next season kicks off?
Inter are big fans of the Belgian powerhouse and have allegedly made him their top midfield target. But Spurs are demanding a hefty £25 million for a 30-year-old who has just 12 months left on his contract, meaning Inter could look to include Mario in the deal and kill two birds with one stone.
It remains to be seen whether Tottenham would be interested in signing Mario, who Inter paid £38 million for two summers ago. He is not a like-for-like replacement for Dembele but could offer Mauricio Pochettino some extra depth in the number ten position or out wide.
But while a deal would raise eyebrows among Tottenham fans, it would not go down well at all at West Ham.
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