While €35million may sound a lot for the 23-year old Sporting Lisbon star Joao Mario, but given his €65million release clause, Manchester United may be working on a steal here.
According to A Bola and O Jogo, United have sent their scouts to virtually every Sporting game in last 2 months with an expected summer offer for the creative playmaker.
The gifted attacker is seen as the player who could provide the missing spark for Louis Van Gaal’s team next season. United are aware of Joao Mario’s abilities and they want to complete the deal even before the Euros.
United scouts are wary that Mario could be one of the stars at the upcoming Euro 2016 which would then force United to pay much higher than the current €35million valuation.
Mario’s contract with Sporting runs until 2020 but he is keen to exploit the potential offers from Europe and in particular Manchester United.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani have set high standards for the Sporting youngsters and every upcoming star dreams of following in their footsteps.
According to A Bola, any bid in the region of €30-35million will seal the transfer for Joao Mario, who is currently earning €600k-per-year.
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