OPINION
In one of the most surprising transfer stories of the past few days, West Ham have reportedly opened talks with Inter Milan over a loan deal for Portugal international Joao Mario.
As reported by French outlet RMC Sport, the Hammers are interested in a temporary deal for the 24-year-old attacking midfielder, who was a key cog in Portugal’s Euro 2016 winning side.
Mario is said to be unhappy at Inter, where he has struggled to make an impact since a £45million move from Sporting Lisbon in the summer of 2016.
There is one issue for West Ham here. Mario is said to be averse to a move to the London Stadium, as the Hammers are not playing European football, and will most likely not be doing so next season either.
However, let’s cast that aside for one moment and consider the magnitude of this signing, should it go through.
Mario is a young yet experienced attacking midfielder, with a brilliant burst of pace and a lovely passing range. He hits a mean free-kick, and can damage teams through the middle and on the flanks.
It was his performances at Euro 2016 that really announced his arrival on the world stage. He was a constant for Portugal, playing in every single game as they lifted their first major international trophy.
It was that Euro 2016 win that earned him his big-money move to Inter, but for reasons unknown, his move to Serie A has not worked out. One possible explanation is a clash of styles.
Mario’s all-action, rampaging play is not particularly suited to the slow, tactical style of Serie A. But one place where that will undoubtedly fit in is the Premier League. And one team where Mario would make a particularly big impact is West Ham.
If you look at the Hammers attacking midfield options, Manuel Lanzini is the only decent choice.
Lanzini is the only player in the squad that roams between midfield and attack with quality, and on a consistent basis. The diminutive Argentine has been one of the club’s best players in recent years, and there is quite simply no one in the squad close to his quality.
But the addition of Mario would change that.
The Portuguese is a similar player to Lanzini in many ways, with pace, directness and a lovely touch.
He would complement the current West Ham attack perfectly, being able to feed Chicharito with pinpoint passes, or whip free-kicks onto the head of Andy Carroll.
His signing would also be a massive statement from David Moyes, who has slowly begun to stamp his mark on the club with their improved results.
However, the Scot is yet to make a signing as manager, and making Mario his first recruit at the London Stadium would be a massive statement of intent from him.
Let’s not forget, it is not just West Ham fighting for their Premier League status, but Moyes also fighting for his job after being handed a six-month contract.
Signing Mario would be a good way of ensuring West Ham’s survival, and also that valuable new contract for Moyes.