Abel Hernandez nearly swapped Hull City for Aston Villa in a Championship record £20m deal in the summer of 2016.
Abel Hernandez may be four months away from returning after rupturing his Achilles in August but Hull City are not waiting around to tie the Uruguayan striker down.
Considering that the former Palermo has been the subject of interest from China and Italy in recent months, this is understandably a concern for Hull.
“He’s a player who has value and therefore we want to tie him up regardless of his injury,” vice-chairman Ehab Allam, who triggered an extension in Hernandez’s contract in December to keep him in Humberside until July 2018, told the Hull Daily Mail.
Though Aston Villa should not turn a blind eye to the precarious contract situation that could see Hull lose a player they made their record signing in 2014 for £10 million on a free transfer.
£20m off
Sky Sports reported on the penultimate day of the 2016 summer transfer window that Aston Villa had made a staggering bid of £20 million for the 27-year-old – only for the deal to fall through due to a failure to agree personal terms.
These days, however, Villa would not be able to offer such a fee. Financial Fair Play restrictions meant they signed just two players on permanent deals in the summer of 2017.
The fact Hernandez will be available on a free as things stand, then, is something Villa should consider. Now, there are no shortage of attacking options in Steve Bruce’s squad but, with Scott Hogan struggling for form and Jonathan Kodjia and Keinan Davis linked with moves to the Premier League, Hernandez should come into Villa’s thinking again.
The 27-time international may be injured right now but his record in the Championship is outstanding. He was the league’s top scorer in 2015/16 with 20 goals.
Two years on, Villa should sieze any chance they get to land Hernandez on a free.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
