Does Joao Mario report prove nothing has changed at West Ham despite David Sullivan pledge?

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According to reports West Ham United are already lining up their first summer signing.

West Ham may face a nail-biting battle to retain their Premier League status but that isn’t stopping them lining up midfielder Joao Mario as their first summer signing.

That’s according to reports from Italy where FCInterNews claims West Ham have submitted a bid to sign the Portuguese midfielder permanently.

Mario, 25, had impressed for Inter last season but found first-team football hard to come by under Luciano Spalletti this term leading to a loan move to East London in January.

The Euro 2016 winner started well, providing three assists in as many games as West Ham looked on course to comfortably secure Premier League.

But he has dropped out of the side as the Hammers have slipped ever closer to the relegation zone.

Inter have reportedly rejected the bid for a player they shelled out nearly £40 million on in 2016.

After another disappointing transfer window, co-owner David Sullivan made a promise to fans last month that he would rip up the club’s recruitment process.

West Ham have made a name for themselves under Sullivan and David Gold for a series of derisory bids for players, most notably Mario’s international teammate William Carvalho.

So does the latest report on the bid for Mario prove nothing has changed at the club when it comes to recruitment?

Not only has a director of football not been appointed yet but a paltry £12million bid bears all the hallmarks of the kind of cheap business the club has been trying to conduct ever since they moved to the London Stadium.