Sporting Lisbon Star Keen On Premier League Move

PortuGoal: João Mário comments on recent transfer speculation.

João Mario’s impressive form this season has attracted interest from Premier League clubs Arsenal and Manchester United, and is also the subject of interest from Atletico Madrid.

Last weekend, the Portuguese press reported that United sent scouts to watch Mario and teammate William Carvalho in Sporting Lisbon’s 1-0 victory over Moreirense.

When asked if he’s ready to play in another league, the midfielder said: “In football anything is possible. At the moment my focus is fully on the ambitions of my club. Depending on the Euros and depending on the future anything can happen, we all have the ambition to play in the major leagues and I’m no exception, but at the moment it’s something I don’t think much about.”

When asked about United and Atletico’s interest, he said: “The league I like most and I’ve always liked most is the English league. It’s the league I like most but that doesn’t mean I think about that one alone.

“There are plenty of excellent leagues, the Spanish league is a great league, the German one too. I always try and watch foreign games because you can always learn something new. They are leagues with a different level of competitiveness, so I try to take something from every one to improve aspects of my game.”

The 23-year-old recently signed a new contract which will keep him with the Lions until 2020. The new deal includes a £47million release clause.