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Man Utd could sign £40m-rated midfielder next month

The winter transfer window is set to open next Monday and Manchester United have been linked to making a number of signings in January.

One of those is Internazionale centre midfielder Joao Mario.

The Italian giants have admitted the Euro 2016 winner is unhappy over a lack of playing time this season, so says a report in Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport (via the Sun).

This news will certainly come of interest to Jose Mourinho and Manchester United should our manager be keen on signing his fellow countryman next month.

Joao Mario is a reported target by us and he has also been linked with an exchange deal with Henrikh Mkhitaryan going in the opposite direction.  I certainly wouldn’t expect Mourinho to step in the way of the Armenian departing from Old Trafford.

Inter Mailn splashed out £40 million to Sporting Club of Portugal for the midfielder after Euro 2016 and he was a first team regular last season.  However, he has made only 11 appearances (4 starts) from a possible 17 in Serie A this season under Luciano Spalletti.

The report also claims that both Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are monitoring Joao Mario’s situation at the San Siro.

At 24 years of age the Portuguese international still has his best years ahead of him.  The midfielder can play either the number 10 role or as one of the two central midfielders in front of our defence should we sign him.  We currently have Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard as options in attacking midfield but with Marouane Fellaini heading into the final six months of his contract at Old Trafford and Michael Carrick set to leave in the summer, Mourinho could certainly be interested in finding a new central midfielder before the start of next season.