Joao Mario

Grading Joao Mario's transfer to Inter Milan from Sporting CP

Published Nov. 15, 2016 2:43 p.m. ET

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Alex Dowd

Just days before the summer transfer window slams shut on Aug. 31, Inter Milan have snapped up Joao Mario from Sporting CP. The Italian club paid a tidy sum of €45 million to capture the midfielder, the Portuguese club announced in a farewell statement. Having already signed winger Antonio Candreva for €22 million earlier in the window, Inter have improved a squad determined to make a return to the upper echelon of European teams.

Mario had been with the Lisbon-based club for 14 years, becoming a full-time starter by the time he was 21. Now 23, the midfielder's vast skill set explains why Sporting valued him at such a hefty sum. Blessed with a relentless work rate and attacking versatility, he's a dream signing for Inter manager Frank de Boer. Mario can line up anywhere along a midfield three, but does most of his best work on the right or occasionally in the middle of the pitch.

An all-around midfielder, it's tough to find any weaknesses in Mario's game. His only real deficiencies are physical in nature, standing at about 5 feet 9 inches and a lacking truly world-class speed. But Mario plugs these holes with tremendous positional awareness and an exquisite technique with and without the ball.

Mario also brings a winner's mentality to Inter, a club desperate to reclaim the glory of yesteryear. Alongside trophies in both the Portuguese Cup and Portuguese Supercup, Mario proved to be integral to Portugal's run to the Euro 2016 championship earlier this summer. He's always keen to pick a pass and get teammates involved, collecting 11 assists in 33 appearances in Portugal's top flight last year. Mario isn't shy to shoot, either, scoring six goals in the same competition last season.

Grade: A

Inter haven't won the Scudetto since the 2009/10 season, when then-manager Jose Mourinho guided them to a historic treble with Champions League, Serie A, and Coppa Italia titles. Since then, Inter have failed to win silverware in any meaningful competition. While Inter have a long way to catch up to Juventus, their summer signings have them on the upswing. The price is a steep one, but Inter have new money in their coffers. With a new ownership in Chinese corporation Suning Holdings Group set to take over, the mood around Inter Milan should only be improving. And with signings like Mario, the team's results should only be improving, as well.

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