Sporting CP will not purchase Joao Mario, so Inter are trying to find other buyers, with Nice and Villarreal interested.

The Portugal international midfielder spent this season on loan in Lisbon and helped them to win the Liga NOS title.

According to Sportitalia, that means the Nerazzurri owe Sporting circa €1m as a performance-related bonus.

He made 34 competitive appearances for SCP this season, contributing two goals and two assists.

However, negotiations to make the move permanent have ground to a halt and were never close to completion.

It’s suggested instead that OGC Nice and Spanish side Villarreal are interested in making an offer.

Inter paid €40m to sign Joao Mario from Sporting back in 2016, but he proved to be a flop.

Crucially, he also failed to earn himself a permanent transfer during loan spells at West Ham United, Lokomotiv Moscow and now Sporting.

Time is running out to get something from his sale, as the 28-year-old’s contract with Inter only runs to June 2022.

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