West Ham United are getting closer to agreeing on a deal for Inter Milan midfielder Joao Mario. According to recent reports, the Hammers are very close to agreeing on a fee with the Italian side with just a €1m [£870,000] gap between their offer and Milan’s valuation. The Portuguese midfielder has fallen out of favour under manager Luciano Spalletti which the east London outfit are trying to take advantage of, by offering to take him on loan this month.
It was recently reported that West Ham are willing to pay Mario’s wages until the end of the current season but were reluctant to pay a loan fee for his services. However, some sources in the Italian media has now claimed that David Moyes’ side are offering to pay an additional €1m fee for a six-month loan deal while the Nerazzurri remain adamant to stick with their €2m asking price for their prized asset. The gap is not that big as the negotiations are going well between the two clubs. Thus, a deal could be reached in the coming days involving a potential transfer of the 25-year-old to the Premier League club.
Mario has featured in 15 matches for Inter Milan this season across all competitions but is yet to find the back of the net for the Serie A club. Although, he has provided five assists for the Nerazzurri. Some reports in the past have also suggested that there would be a €30m [£26.4m] option to buy the player permanently after his initial loan, but it won’t be an obligation for the Hammers.
The Hammers are currently sitting in 11th place in the Premier League standings with a tally of 26 points after Gameweek 24. They have been in sensational form in the league of late and have done well since David Moyes has taken charge of the club two months ago.
However, the Londoners find themselves just 4 points above the drop zone with some of their key players missing due to injuries. Andy Carroll will need to undergo a foot surgery while the attacking pair of Manuel Lanzini and Marko Arnautovic have succumbed to hamstring injuries.
There are also serious doubts over the futures of Javier Hernandez, Diafra Sakho and Andre Ayew. Hence, the addition of Mario could definitely give the east London outfit a major boost going into the second half of the season as his talents might aid them in their quest to avoid relegation to the Championship this season. It remains to be seen what lies ahead in the future of Joao Mario and whether he can reignite his career at West Ham.
