West Ham have announced the arrival of Inter midfielder Joao Mario on loan for the remainder of the season.
The Hammers have been chasing Mario all month in a bid to bolster their midfield options and have finally landed the Portugal international after a breakthrough in talks with Inter this week.
Mario flew into London on Thursday to undergo his West Ham medical after David Moyes’ side agreed to pay a reported €1.5m (£1.3m) loan fee for the 25-year-old.
“I am really happy to be here,” Mario told the club’s official website. “It’s a really amazing experience to join this amazing team and I am just glad to be here.
“It was a fast move. I have spoken with everyone around the team and, for me, it is exciting to play in the Premier League.
“I spoke with the coach and for me, I am really happy to be training for an amazing coach, also.”
Mario has endured a nightmare 18 months at Inter after becoming the club’s second most expensive player of all-time and dropped even further down the pecking order this season.
Inter announced the arrival of Barcelona midfielder Rafinha at the start of the week to all but confirmed Mario has no future at the club.
Of Serie A players that have featured in at least 500 minutes of action this season, only Gaston Ramirez (every 177.6 minutes) registers an assist more frequently than Mario. (every 182.3 minutes).
