Inter Milan have beaten Chelsea to the signing of Portugal star Joao Mario in a deal worth €45million from Sporting Lisbon.
The midfielder who was a key part of Portugals successful Euro 2016 campaign becomes the most expensive departure from a Portuguese club, exceeding the previous record of €35million that was paid by Bayern Munich earlier this summer for Renato Sanches from Benfica.
Mario made 109 appearances for Sporting Lisbon, scoring 14 goals, as well as 18 appearances for his country.
His performances had led to interest from Premier League clubs, with both Manchester United and Chelsea having been linked over the last few months, with the latter being most strongly linked with making a move for Mario.
However, it is the Serie A club who has won the race for his signature, and they are expected to complete a deal for Brazilian starlet Gabriel Barbosa in the coming hours.