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Manchester United eye swoop for international midfielder: Deal could cost up to £47.4m
MANCHESTER UNITED are considering a move for Joao Mario, according to reports.
Mario is thought to be under the watchful eye of United's scouts
Mario initially made his debut for Sporting Lisbon back in 2011 but didn’t break into the first team full until last season.
However, the 23-year-old now has 75 appearances for the Portuguese side and is a mainstay in the midfield.
It has attracted the attentions of a number of European clubs with the Red Devils, who have previously bought Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani from Sporting, said to be the most keen on signing him.
Sporting president Bruno de Carvalho admitted to the newspaper that he would have let the player go for around £23.7million.
However, his recent performances have driven his value upwards and the club are now looking for a fee closer to his minimum fee release clause which is £47m.
Their hand may be forced though by the player, who recently admitted he would choose the Premier League over any other European league to play in.