Portuguese managers in battle to sign Inter midfielder João Mario

A battle to secure the signature of Inter Milan midfielder Joao Mario is set to get underway.

Mario, 26, has been closely tracked by French outfit AS Monaco, who are currently managed by Portuguese manager Leonardo Jardim.

Monaco are believed to be leading the race to sign the Euro 2016 champion, who has played for Portugal 43 times.

A move to Monaco would see Mario link up with various fellow Portuguese players, including Gelson Martins, Rony Lopes and Dinis Almeida, while Adrien Silva could also still return to the club this summer.

However, Mario’s proposed move to Monaco is still not absolutely certain, with the French outfit yet to meet the demands of Inter Milan - and another Portuguese manager is considering a move for the Portuguese midfielder this summer.

That’s because Andre Vilas Boas, who is currently the manager of Marseille, is also interested in signing his compatriot, who could be available for 20 million euros.

Mario’s exit looks even more likely after the arrival of Cagliari midfielder Nicolo Barella. With more competition for a starting berth, Mario is even more likely to leave this season, and Andre Vilas Boas and Leonardo Jardim could be going head-to-head to sign the Portuguese international.

However, there could still be further complications in any deal, with Sky Italy having reported in the last couple of days that a third Portuguese manager - Nuno Espirito Santo - could also be interested in signing Joao Mario.

Nuno, current manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers, has seen a couple of Portuguese players in Ivan Cavaleiro and Helder Costa leave the club in recent days, and is yet to sign any new first team players for the upcoming season.

However, there is little to suggest that Wolves are interested in signing the Inter Milan midfielder.

Mario arrived at Inter Milan for a substantial 40 million euros back in the summer of 2016, after his heroics at the European Championship with Portugal.