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Offered an opportunity to find his way out of Italy for good, Inter Milan midfielder Joao Mario has apparently rejected a move to Chelsea.
Reports suggest Mario declined moving to Stamford Bridge because he had no interest in working with former Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea.
Mario spend the last half of last season on loan to West Ham United and expressed desire to not return to Italy or Inter, but it appears the list of potential takers is dwindling.
He wants to leave, Inter wants him to leave, heck, even I want him to leave.
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But to reject a move because you don’t want to work for a manager that wants you seems to be a bit ridiculous.
Chelsea is a solid club with a lot of potential this year in the Premier League.
So, it leaves me scratching my head as to why he wouldn’t want to play for the Blues. He clearly likes English football as he apparently enjoyed his time with West Ham. Heck, he even helped them avoid relegation.
He’s not going to see the pitch for Inter this year, that much is abundantly clear. So, knowing that, he still passed up a move away from the San Siro?
I really question the attitude and desire of Mario. He came to Inter in 2016 with a ton of fanfare and expectation and failed to live up to either of them.
He clearly has no place with the Nerazzurri and he doesn’t want one.
One potential suitor is Tottenham Hotspur, who appear on the verge of making a pitch to Inter for a season-long loan with an option to purchase attached. But, because the transfer window closes in a matter of hours in England, the deal would have to be good … quick.
Another option is to see if Inter can find success offloading Mario to a club outside of England. Real Betis is another potential landing spot for him.
It would be a big gamble for Inter to pass up a loan deal for Mario in hopes of a better offer from another club.
I say, move him somewhere … anywhere. I know you want to recoup some of the initial investment made, but let’s cut the dead weight as soon as humanly possible.
If Tottenham makes a palatable offer, take it and run.
What do you think? Post your comments below!