Joao Mario swaps Inter for Russia

After Joao Mario was left out of Antonio Conte’s 23-man squad for the opening match of the Serie A season against Lecce, it was obvious that the player could be on his way out. There were rumours, but him missing the match made it all clearer. And now the Portuguese midfielder has left the club.

Lokomotiv Moscow have announced the signing of Joao Mario from Inter on an initial season-long loan. Mario’s departure was an expected one, as Conte did not see a place for him in his team and with the expected arrival of Alexis Sanchez from Manchester United, the Portuguese needed to find a new club, at least for this season. The Russian club have the option to buy the 26-year-old at the end of the campaign, but it remains unknown how high the potential price could be.