Aston Villa are reportedly close to securing the signing of defender Mario Hermoso on a free transfer this summer.
The 28-year-old joined Atletico Madrid in 2019 and has since gone on to make 169 appearances for the La Liga giants, scoring 10 goals and providing six assists to go with his defensive work.
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Hermoso initially came through the youth ranks at Real Madrid before stints at Real Valladolid and Espanyol, but with his Atleti contract set to expire this summer, it appears as though he’s set to move on.
According to AS, there is no suggestion that he will renew as things currently stand, and he is said to be close to joining Villa on a free transfer with various key factors cited as being crucial to putting us in a strong position to convince him to join us.
Naturally, the big draw will be Unai Emery’s presence at the club and the progression he’s overseen since he arrived, while President of Football Operations, Monchi, and the Spanish contingent within the current squad will all help to convince him that we’re the best choice for him both on and off the pitch.
Villa continue to push to secure Champions League football for next season while we’ll hope to overturn a 4-2 deficit against Olympiacos in the Europa Conference League semi-finals next week, and so that will also undoubtedly be important in attracting our priority targets this summer if we become a bigger presence on the European stage.
With Clement Lenglet set to see his loan spell come to an end this summer, coupled with Hermoso’s versatility to play as a centre-half or left-back, it looks like a potentially shrewd signing from Villa to address an obvious need and to strengthen Emery’s squad.
It’s added in the report above that we may well still face competition for his signature from the likes of Inter, and so although it paints a positive picture in terms of our chances of bringing him to Villa next season, time will tell if there is an official announcement sooner rather than later to confirm Hermoso as an important summer addition.
