West Ham United are all set to battle it out with Aston Villa for the services of 28-year-old Atletico Madrid defender Mario Hermoso.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport via SportWitness, West Ham United are keen on having Mario Hermoso in their ranks starting next season. The Hammers have entered the race for the 28-year-old’s services and are ready to square up against Aston Villa.
Mario Hermoso’s time at Atletico Madrid
Hermoso came up the ranks at Real Madrid but things didn’t work out for him there as he failed to break into the first team. He had a promising two-year spell at Espanyol before joining Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2019.
The 28-year-old has gone from strength to strength with every passing season. He has established himself as one of the mainstays under Diego Simeone. But, it seems his time in the Spanish capital could end soon.
The Spanish international’s contract with Atletico runs out at the end of the season and there are very slim chances of him penning down a new deal. Multiple top clubs from across Europe are well aware of the situation and are pushing to sign him as a free agent.
West Ham & Aston Villa to battle for Hermoso’s services
Inter Milan are one of the clubs keen on his signatures and they are willing to offer him around €5 million per year. But, they might not be able to compete financially with Premier League clubs. According to the report, the Hammers are ready to offer him more than €5 million per year.
They want to bolster their defence ahead of next season and feel signing someone with so much experience at the very top will be a huge boost for them. Hermoso could end up being the new leader of their defence and he could even cheap in as a left-back when needed.
But, the Hammers are not the only English club that are pushing for the 28-year-old. Even Aston Villa want to sign the Atletico star on a free transfer in the summer. Unai Emery is a huge fan of the centre-back having watched him in action up close during his time in Spain.
The Spanish manager has asked his club to push for his signature and as per the report, his agents have been in advanced negotiations with Villa.
