Chelsea Transfer News: Joao Mario Battle with Manchester United, Latest Rumours

Chelsea are reportedly locked in a "bidding war" with Manchester United for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Joao Mario.

The news comes from Portuguese newspaper A Bola (h/t James Cambridge of the Express), who report "the competition between the two Premier League clubs is so fierce that all other interested teams have backed out." Chelsea are reported to have offered £39 million, only for the Red Devils to counter "with a bid closer to Mario's £46 million release clause."

Football writer Jan Hagen also shared the news from A Bola:

The 23-year-old has enjoyed an excellent campaign, in which he has scored seven goals and assisted 12 in all competitions. Here are some of his highlights:

Hagen ran the rule over him:

The Blues are lacking options in central midfield, which was to the detriment of their season.

Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas are both fine players and together form a strong partnership combining solidity and creativity, but both endured poor form for much of the campaign and Chelsea have few options to call on in their place.

A quality alternative must be high on Antonio Conte's agenda this summer, and it seems Mario could well be a strong candidate.

Since the bidding between Chelsea and United is already relatively close to his release clause, it could easily be the case that both clubs meet the required fee and it comes down to whichever club and contract offer the player prefers.

If Jose Mourinho becomes the man to replace former manager Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford—the club announced the Dutchman's departure on Monday—he may have the edge in landing his compatriot ahead of Conte, but the Blues would also likely prove a tempting prospect.

Gregorio Borgia/Associated Press

A younger and most likely cheaper option for the two clubs could be Bologna starlet Amadou Diawara. According to Valencia-based newspaper Super Deporte (h/t Lorenzo Bettoni of Calciomercato.com), Valencia have joined Chelsea, United, Roma and Tottenham Hotspur in the pursuit of the 18-year-old.

Football journalist David Amoyal is an admirer of the youngster:

According to Squawka, the holding midfielder won 52 tackles in Serie A this season and made an incredible 91 interceptions.

An impressive ball-winner with a bright future ahead of him, Diawara could make a very shrewd purchase and something of a coup if he can be snapped up amid widespread competition for his signature.