Joao Mario, the rising Portuguese midfielder, reportedly offered to Real Madrid for €45 million.
Having failed to bring the likes of Paul Pogba and David De Gea into its fold, Real Madrid have now been offered the Portuguese midfielder Joao Mario for 45 million euros, according to a report by Spanish publication Sport. While Zidane has not minced words in proclaiming he is in no need of superstar signings, this will be a tough decision to make for more than one reason. It is now common knowledge that Real Madrid has been eyeing Newcastle’s Moussa Sissoko for quite some time, and it might just boil down to choosing between the two.
Mario has been one of Sporting’s most prized possessions, and manager Jorge Jesus’s personal favourite. Referring to Mario, Sporting Lisbon’s youth coach Tiago Capaz remarked, “I have no idea what his limits are.” He scored 6 league goals in the previous campaign and was seen as one of the primary factors behind Sporting’s formidable challenge last season. Mario brings with him the confidence of the recent Euro 2016 win where his performance was widely appreciated, with many believing it to be one of the main reasons behind Portugal’s win. The drastic rise in his price is perhaps the most apt testimony to the same.
Control on the ball seems his key strength, but he also has the ability to set up chances for his teammates without giving up on opportunities to score a goal himself. This will make a significant impact on the decision that Zidane and Florentino make in the days to come. With no dearth of attackers in the squad, Zidane has maintained that a capable midfielder is all that remains in giving Real Madrid a winning team. While Zizou is of the opinion that Sissoko is the missing ingredient in this dream team, Florentino appears to have been keeping an open mind. While one can only make biased guesses as to who shall prevail over whom, the uncertainty will be resolved in due course of time as Real Madrid chooses its new midfielder.
