Fiorentina Targets Joao Mario as Juventus Cut Losses

Fiorentina are closing in on a deal for Juventus full-back Joao Mario, a move that would offer the Portuguese defender a fresh start and allow the Bianconeri to quietly draw a line under an expensive misstep.

According to reports in Italy, talks between Fiorentina and Juventus are at an advanced stage over a loan with an option to buy, with the total package expected to come in at around €8-9m. It is a sharp drop from the €12m Juventus paid FC Porto in the summer of 2025, and a clear sign of how far the player’s stock has fallen in Turin.

For Porto, there is no consolation prize. The original agreement included a 10 per cent sell-on clause on any profit from a future sale. With Juventus now set to take a loss, that clause is effectively worthless.

Joao Mario’s time in black and white never really started. The 26-year-old managed just 13 appearances for Juventus, registering a single assist before being shipped out on loan to Bologna in January as part of a deal that saw Emil Holm head the other way.

The switch to Bologna at least brought rhythm and responsibility. Joao Mario played 15 times there, scoring twice and reminding Serie A observers why Juventus had invested in him in the first place. It was not enough to convince either club to trigger a permanent transfer, though, and he returned to Turin this summer with his future already decided: he was not in Juventus’ plans.

Fiorentina now sense an opportunity. They know they are not buying the polished product that was once touted at Porto, but a player who has been jolted by a difficult year and is looking for a club to believe in him again. A loan with an option to buy suits everyone: Fiorentina reduce their risk, Juventus edge closer to recouping part of their outlay, and Joao Mario gets a platform in a system that could suit his attacking instincts from full-back.

For Juventus, this is the quiet admission that the move from Porto never worked. For Fiorentina, it could be the kind of calculated gamble that shifts a season.