Report: West Ham want another Joao Mario loan as Inter chase £26m deal

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West Ham United are reportedly keen to bring Joao Mario back to the club on loan this summer, but Inter Milan appear to have other ideas.

According to a report from the London Evening Standard, West Ham are targeting a loan deal that would see Joao Mario return to the London Stadium for a second time, but they may have a difficult time trying to convince Inter Milan to sanction a move.

Mario joined the Hammers on loan during the January transfer window and featured regularly as David Moyes led the side to safety and a 13th place finish in the Premier League. The Portuguese made 13 appearances in the top flight, scoring twice and providing one assist.

Moyes may have now moved on and been replaced by Manuel Pellegrini, but the London Evening Standard suggests that the Irons are keen to bring the 25-year-old back for a season-long loan spell.

However, the London Evening Standard adds that Inter would prefer to discuss a permanent move for the midfielder, and would be looking for around £26 million during the coming months.

Mario did fairly well during his time with West Ham, so it could certainly be argued that he would be a very good addition to Pellegrini’s ranks if the Chilean was able to add him on a temporary basis for next season.

However, based on the form that he showed this past season, and assuming that the Hammers will still not be able to compete with the league’s heavyweights when it comes to spending this summer, paying £26 million to sign Mario appears to be a massive gamble that some supporters would probably prefer the club to avoid.