Left-sided centre-halves have seldom been more popular.
In an age where managers tend to view defenders not only as the last line of defence but also the first line of attack, they tend to look for left-footers to provide balance when playing out from the back.
Hence why Unai Emery’s Aston Villa spent heavily on bringing Pau Torres to the Premier League to Villarreal. Hence why Newcastle United were so keen on Sven Botman.
That may also explain why West Ham United want to reunite Julen Lopetegui with his former Wolverhampton Wanderers captain Max Kilman, despite the Molineux skipper’s hefty £50 million price-tag, HITC understands.
HITC have also been told that West Ham – alongside the aforementioned Villa – are admirers of Feyenoord’s centre-half/deep-lying playmaker David Hancko too.
Mario Hermoso is another name which has appeared on the radar of Villa, West Ham and Newcastle. HITC reported back in June that Aston Villa were confident that they would be able to win the race for the Spain international once his Atletico Madrid contract expired.
A contract which officially ran out on Sunday. Atleti’s £21 million signing from Espanyol leaving the Wanda Metropolitano for nothing.
Aston Villa and West Ham United keen on Spain ace
But, as Juventus found out when bringing in the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Angel di Maria, so-called ‘free-agents’ are never quite as affordable as they seem.
In the absence of a transfer fee, it is not uncommon for a player’s camp to demand either a sizeable signing-on fee or inflated wages.
As Tuttomercatoweb explain, Hermoso is looking to ‘capitalise’ on his own free-agent status. The one-time Real Madrid prospect wants a three-year contract which works out at nearly £13 million. Or, to simplify things, £80,000-a-week
TMW add that Napoli, also hot on the heels of Hermoso, have fallen some way short of his demands thus far. The 2023 Serie A champions are offering just £57,000-a-week.
So, over to you Aston Villa, West Ham and Newcastle.
Per Spotrac, an £80,000-a-week wage would place Hermoso in the same pay bracket as Matty Cash at Villa Park. Lucas Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen, Edson Alvarez and co would all earn more than him at West Ham United.
As for Newcastle, well a move to St James’ Park seems far more unlikely now for Hermoso than it did a month ago. The Magpies offset the loss of Sven Botman to injury by reuniting Eddie Howe with his former Bournemouth stopper Lloyd Kelly three weeks back.
Hermoso, meanwhile, appears to have his heart set on a move to one of Europe’s top-five leagues. The 29-year-old appears to have little interest in becoming the latest big name to head to Saudi Arabia.
Mario Hermoso could swap Atletico Madrid for Napoli
“He is a player who is doing very well and who has grown a lot in these five years in Madrid. Now he is finishing his contract with Atletico Madrid,” agent Inaki Espizua told CN24TV.
“Mario wants to play in a major league. He doesn’t want to discard any options. He wants to play for important goals. We will evaluate any project that may come for the next few years, this is the player’s aspiration.”
In a boost to Napoli’s hopes, Espizua did single out Antonio Conte’s new club as an attractive destination for his client.
“Serie A can certainly be a possibility for Mario. Napoli are among the Serie A teams which offer an attractive scenario,” Espizua adds. “Napoli is a great club.
“Last year, they won the Scudetto and (they) have an important history. Out of respect for everyone, I don’t want to talk about individual clubs, but Serie A can certainly be a prestigious destination. Even Inter is a great club.”
Interestingly, Hancko could replace Hermoso at Atletico. The Slovakian’s agent admitted last week that a move to Diego Simeone’s side was the preferred one for his client.
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