Man Utd, Chelsea receive huge blow in Joao Mario chase

Premier League giants Manchester United and Chelsea will have to look elsewhere after Sporting Lisbon expressed their desire to keep hold of Joao Mario. The Portuguese midfielder has captured interest from the pairing following a top season in the Primeira Liga last term.

Mario  played a key role for the Lisbon-based side as they came second to Benfica during the previous campaign.

Recent speculation suggested that the midfielder could seek a bigger challenge with United and Chelsea among the clubs vying for his services.

But, according to The Express, Sporting will follow their recent trend and offer an improved contract to their academy product.

Fellow teammate William Carvalho was also on the Premier League radar before he committed his future to the Portuguese outfit earlier this year.

The 23-year-old appeared in 45 games for Sporting last season.