West Ham fans will remember Joao Mario spending a brief period on loan at the London Stadium back in 2018.
The Portugal international signed for the Hammers on a six-month loan spell from Inter Milan for a £1m fee, with the Daily Mail claiming that West Ham had an option to turn the deal permanent for £26m.
Mario went on to score two goals in 14 appearances for West Ham – while also providing one assist.
Despite that, the east Londoners decided against a permanent deal, and the Portuguese forward has now gone on to do something special at Benfica.
What’s the story?
Well, Mario is enjoying himself in Portugal, to say the least.
The 30-year-old scored and provided an assist on Tuesday evening as Benfica record a 5-1 win over Club Brugge in the Champions League Round of 16.
It was Mario’s 20th goal of the season in 38 appearances, while he has also provided 11 assists.
In scoring against the Belgian giants, Mario became the first Benfica player to net in five consecutive European cup games since the legendary Eusébio managed to do so back in the 1964/65 campaign, 58 years ago.
West Ham right not to sign Joao Mario
While Mario’s stunning form so far this season makes it seem as if West Ham made a mistake not to sign him, we believe the Irons made the right decision.
£26m for two goals and one assist in 14 appearances represented a pricey investment.
That isn’t to say West Ham spent their money well on others by any means – the Hammers splashed £36m on Felipe Andersen, £17.5m on Andriy Yarmolenko and £22m on Issa Diop in the summer of 2018.
Nevertheless, Mario did not do enough to warrant a £26m permanent deal, despite showing flashes of his obvious talent during his six months in east London.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
