Aston Villa and Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing free agent Mario Hermoso.
The 29-year-old was a key member of Atletico Madrid’s first-team last season, featuring in 45 games across all competitions.
But he failed to reach an agreement with the Spanish club on the terms of a new contract, leading to his departure from Madrid.
The Spaniard is currently attracting plenty of interest from several top European clubs.
Napoli are said to be leading the transfer race for the talented centre-back, and they are trying to offload players to make space for him in the squad.
But Radio Punto Nuovo are reporting that Aston Villa and Chelsea are also chasing a move for the 29-year-old.
The former Real Madrid player is an attractive option available in the market as he can be signed without paying a transfer fee.
The centre-back has proven himself in both domestic and European competitions during his time at Atletico Madrid.
He made over 170 appearances in all competitions for the Indians, scoring 10 goals and creating six assists in the process.
Villa have been very active in the ongoing summer transfer window as they have completed moves for Enzo Barrenechea, Ross Barkley, Ian Maatsen, Samuel Iling-Junior, Lewis Dobbin and Jaden Philogene.
But they are also pursuing a move for Hermoso to bolster their defensive ranks ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
Chelsea have brought in some top young talents in Omari Kellyman, Marc Guiu and Renato Veiga, but they also don’t want to miss the opportunity of signing an excellent free agent like Hermoso.
Stats from Transfermarkt
