West Ham want to sign Joao Mario on loan again from Inter Milan this summer, according to a club Insider.
Ex-WHU Employee, who is a very reliable source of Hammers news, revealed in an exchange with a supporter on Monday that the club are working on a second deal for the Portugal international after he spent the second half of 2017-18 on loan at the London Stadium.
I think we are attempting to get another loan deal sorted https://t.co/YHEuedcgTy
— ExWHUemployee (@ExWHUemployee) May 28, 2018
Mario joined Inter from Sporting Lisbon in the summer of 2016 for a reported fee of £38.4million (source: Sky Sports).
OPINION
Will Super Mario be back at West Ham again next season? That is certainly a real possibility, although it remains to be seen whether it will be a permanent or loan deal. The Portugese playmaker was a mainstay of the side after joining on loan in January, making 14 appearances in all competitions. Ex-boss David Moyes was certainly a fan of the 33-times Portugal international and settled on a system in which Mario and Manuel Lanzini were used as attacking midfielders behind spearhead Mario Arnautovic. Mario reportedly has a £26million release clause in his contract, the sort of fee that West Ham have showed greater inclination to pay in recent years but which they may baulk at for a player who is good but not great. Certainly, a loan deal would be excellent business as the Hammers look for greater proof that Mario can be the conductor of the orchestra under new boss Manuel Pellegrini.
