Joao Mario opened his account for West Ham on the weekend.
West Ham United manager David Moyes has been quoted by The Times as saying that he is yet to decide whether he will make Joao Mario’s loan from Inter Milan a permanent move.
The 25-year-old has found the going tough since his move to the Premier League in January, as he was tasked with turning West Ham’s fortunes around in the absence of Manuel Lanzini.
But following the return of the Argentinian, Euro 2016 winner Mario has impressed and he produced his best performance in claret and blue on Saturday during the Hamers’ 3-0 win over Southampton with his first West Ham goal.
Former Everton and Manchester United manager Moyes was asked if he was planning on luring the Portugal international to the London Stadium on a permanent basis, but he responded in a manner that is sure to disappoint fans.
“I wouldn’t want to even comment on that now, because I won’t make any decisions or even look at it [yet]. I’ll take my time, see what we’ve got, and see where we’re going to go,” Moyes said.
Mario was one of two signings made by the Hammers in January, along with target man Jordan Hugill from Championship side Preston North End – the latter making just three appearances from the bench, culminating in just 22 minutes.
It remains to be seen how much West Ham would have to pay to land Mario on a permanent basis, with three years still to run on his contract at Inter.
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