Aston Villa keen on move for Atletico Madrid defender

Aston Villa are interested in a move for Atletico Madrid's Mario Hermoso this summer, according to a report by Italian news outlet CalcioMercato.

Unai Emery's side are being linked with a swoop for the centre-back at the end of this season along with Italian duo AC Milan and Juventus.

Hermoso, who is 28-years-old, is a left-footed defender who can play in either the heart of the backline or at left-back which would make him a useful addition for whoever wins the race for his signature in the next transfer window.

Aston Villa could see him as someone to add more competition and depth to their backline ahead of the next campaign. The Midlands outfit are hoping to be playing in a European competition of some capacity again next term which means they could do with some more players.

Hermoso has been on the books at Atletico Madrid since 2019 and has since made 163 appearances in all competitions for Diego Simeone's men, finding the net on 10 occasions.

He started his career at Real Madrid and rose up through their academy ranks before going on to play 33 times for their B team.

The Spaniard never played for the first-team at the Bernabeu and instead had a loan spell at Real Vallodolid to get some experience under his belt before being sold for a permanent basis to Espanyol. He then spent two years with the latter before his current club snapped him up but his future is up in the air right now.