La Liga champions Barcelona are reportedly closely monitoring the situation of 28-year-old Spanish international Mario Hermoso at Atletico Madrid.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Mario Hermoso is the subject of interest from Barcelona. The reigning La Liga champions are in the market for a versatile left-footed defender heading into the summer transfer window. The 28-year-old Atletico Madrid defender has thus emerged as a viable candidate to replace Marcos Alonso.
Who is Mario Hermoso?
Mario Hermoso has been among the most underrated defenders in La Liga for the last half a decade. A native of Madrid, the Spaniard graduated from Real Madrid’s fabled La Fabrica youth division but could not establish a foothold at the club. Instead, he rose in prominence in Catalonia after joining Espanyol in 2017.
The 28-year-old spent two years with Espanyol before joining Atletico Madrid in July 2019. Since then, he has come leaps and bounds, thriving under the tutelage of Diego Simeone due to his ability to play as a left-back and a centre-back. While Hermoso has turned out 162 times thus far for Atletico Madrid, he has 175 appearances in La Liga, chipping in with ten goals and five assists.
But Hermoso has entered the final six months of his contract with Atletico Madrid, with talks over a new deal not progressing much. Such a situation has piqued the interest of several well-known clubs, with Barcelona keeping tabs on the developments.
Barcelona Move on the Horizon?
Xavi Hernandez had been pushing Barcelona to sign Mario Hermoso for a long time. While the former Spanish international will not be at the Catalan club next season, they are still heeding his advice by tracking the Atletico Madrid defender. And his versatility means he can be a top-notch addition to Barcelona’s first-team squad.
Barcelona will likely lose Marcos Alonso as a free agent in the summer transfer window. Interestingly, a move to Atletico Madrid might be on the cards for the veteran Spaniard. So, we might see Hermoso and Alonso swapping bases heading into the 2024/25 season, both on free transfers.
The 28-year-old Spanish international might return to Catalonia as primarily a left-back solution. However, he can also contest for the left centre-back slot amid the advancing years of Inigo Martinez.
