Manchester United target Joao Mario not for sale, says Inter Milan club director

Milan, Dec 21: Inter Milan director Walter Sabatini has made a rigid declaration for their star attacking midfielder Joao Maria as he claimed that the club has no desire to let the Portuguese international leave in the January transfer window amid transfer speculation from Manchester United.

United have been trying to land a winger and attacking playmaker since the last window. The Red Devils earlier tried to sign Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic in the summer, however, after lots of hush and fuss both the clubs could not be agreed on terms and the Croatian had to settle at Milan for another season.

Perisic also has recently signed a new contract with the club which all but eliminated the possibility of approaching the winger in January.

On the other hand, the Red Devils are also facing a crisis in the number 10 position after last season's signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan failed to establish himself as a regular and now on the verge of moving out of the club after falling out of favour under Mourinho due to his lacklustre performance.

Now according to some reports, last week in Italy United are now trying to explore the option of a swap deal involving Henrikh Mkhitaryan with the Portuguese playmaker who can both play in the wings as well as in the attacking third.

Additionally, the 24-year-old has struggled to establish himself in a newly rejuvenated Inter side under Spaletti and has been fighting for the league title first time in seven years.

And with only four starts to his name this season and World Cup on the horizon, there has been a concern that a lack of playing time could cost him a place in Portugal’s World Cup squad for which he wants to move away from the Milan side.

But now the club President has duly dismissed all these speculations and claimed that the player is not for sale and they will look for the possibility of giving the playmaker more chances in the upcoming matches to have his desire of more game time.

“As with all those who have to earn their place at the World Cup, Joao has some issues with the lack of playing time," he told Sky Sport.

"We don’t want to lose him, so he and Luciano Spalletti will find common ground and they’ll work out what to do.

"He is our player and we want to keep him."

João Mário joined Inter last season for a whopping €40 million from Sporting Lisbon last season has scored only three goals till now.