Who is new Juventus defender Joao Mario?

Originally posted on Football Italia | By Lorenzo Bettoni | Last updated Jul 23, 2025 7:38 AM ET

Porto FC defender João Mario is set to join Juventus on a permanent transfer. Let’s find out more about the new Bianconeri signing.

João Mario, 25, is set to join Juventus for €10m from Porto, while Alberto Costa will join the Portuguese club for €16m including add-ons.

João Mario will undergo medical tests with the Old Lady on Thursday, sources tell Football Italia.

A product of the Porto Academy, João Mario made 181 appearances at a senior level with the Portuguese giants and has three appearances with the Portugal national team.

Where Joao Mario will play at Juventus

João Mario is 178 cm tall and is quite skilled with both his right and left feet. Despite that, he’s always played on the right flank, either as a right-back or a right wing-back, which is where Igor Tudor is expected to deploy him.

João Mario provided one assist in three appearances in the recent Club World Cup in which his Porto side was eliminated in the group phase.

Last season, he provided three assists in 27 league appearances and collected two more decisive passes in eight Europa League matches.

The Portuguese defender netted five goals at a senior level with Porto.

As reported by Sofascore, he averaged 83% accurate passes in league games last season; however, his accurate pass rate in the opposition half was only 74% in the 2024-25 season.

Joao Mario Porto trophies

The 25-year-old also created 10 big chances in league games last season.

Stats suggest João Mario has an attacking attitude, as he averaged only 0.4 interceptions per game in 2024-25, one tackle per game, and 2.9 ball recoveries.

The Portuguese seems quite fit, having missed just four games due to injuries in 2024-25.

João Mario won two Portuguese titles, four Portuguese Cups and three Portuguese Supercups with Porto.

This article first appeared on Football Italia and was syndicated with permission.

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