Aston Villa face competition from Serie A side for La Liga man

Aston Villa have been joined by Inter Milan in pursuit of Atletico Madrid defender Mario Hermoso, according to Gazetta Dello Sport (via Inter News).

Unai Emery's side will face competition from the Serie A giants as they look to potentially lure him to England this summer.

Hermoso, 28, could be seen by Aston Villa as someone to bolster their defensive department ahead of next season.

Clement Lenglet is due to return to Barcelona when his loan spell in the Premier League expires later this year and that would free up a vacancy to fill.

Hermoso's contract at Atletico Madrid expires in late June and he is due to become a free agent.

Snapping up a player of his calibre for nothing would be a shrewd coup by Aston Villa. It would save them a lot of money as they wouldn't have to fork out a hefty transfer fee and that would free up funds to bring in other players in different positions.

Hermoso has been on the books of his current club since 2019 and has since made 165 appearances for the La Liga giants in all competitions, chipping in with 10 goals from the back.

He helped Diego Simeone's men win the title back in 2021 but his future is up in the air right now amid interest from Aston Villa and now Inter Milan.

Prior to his move to Atletico Madrid, the former Real Madrid academy man spent two years at Espanyol and played 59 matches for them.