West Ham United may try to seal a return for Inter Milan midfielder Joao Mario in the January transfer window, according to Claret and Hugh.
The Hammers news site, which has extensive links within the London Stadium, report that manager Manuel Pellegrini is mulling an offer to hand the Portugal international playmaker a way out of Inter, where he is yet to play this season.
Claret and Hugh claim that an injury crisis in midfield means that Pellegrini could turn to Mario, who played 14 times for the Irons last season on loan from the Serie A side, where he earns £75,000-a-week [Silly Season].
OPINION
This would be an interesting move from West Ham, with Mario impressing during a spell at the club last term. The 25-year-old turned out 14 times in claret and blue, scoring two goals and laying on one assist in that period. A slow start after his January switch had many doubting his ability to make an impact in the Premier League, especially considering his lack of form and minutes for Inter in the previous few months. Mario however bounced back to win over much of the West Ham fanbase with some industrious displays and a couple of important goals towards the end of the season to help them in their fight against relegation. It was thought that the club may take up their option to sign him permanently in the summer, but Pellegrini obviously decided against it, and that makes a January swoop even more intriguing should the Hammers go for it.
