Portuguese international Joao Mario has landed in Italy to finalize his move from FC Porto to Juventus. Meanwhile, Juventus defender Alberto Costa is expected to transfer to Porto as part of the deal.
Juventus has released footage showing Joao Mario`s arrival in Turin on Wednesday evening. The right-back is scheduled for a medical examination with the Bianconeri on Thursday morning.
The transfer fee for Joao Mario is reported to be €10 million, while Alberto Costa is set to join Porto in a separate €16 million deal. Interestingly, Costa had only joined Juventus six months ago for €12.5 million during the January transfer window.
Who is Joao Mario?
Joao Mario, a 25-year-old with three caps for Portugal, has primarily played as a right-back or right wing-back throughout his career. It is expected that Juventus manager Igor Tudor will utilize him in this position.
The defender recently participated in the Club World Cup, where he provided one assist in three appearances before Porto`s elimination in the group stage. In the previous season, he contributed three assists in 27 league matches and two more in eight Europa League games.
During his time at Porto, Joao Mario scored five goals at the senior level. According to Sofascore, he maintained an 83% pass accuracy in league games last season, though his accuracy in the opposition half dropped to 74% in the 2024-25 season.
With this transfer, Juventus aims to strengthen their defensive options and add depth to their squad for the upcoming season.