Aston Villa lead Newcastle, Milan and Juventus in race for in-demand free agent

Aston Villa are reportedly leading the race to sign a La Liga defender that has been linked with the likes of Newcastle United, Juventus and AC Milan.

Five-times capped Spain international Mario Hermoso is set to be one of the most in-demand free agents during the summer transfer window as his current contract with Atletico Madrid comes to a close. The 28-year-old joined Diego Simeone’s side from league rivals Espanyol in a £19m deal during the summer of 2019 and was a team-mate of current Newcastle star Kieran Trippier went Atleti claimed the La Liga title in 2021. However, there is now serous doubt over Hermoso’s future at the Metropolitano Stadium - despite his agent claiming ‘it’s not a given’ that the defender will head to pastures new next season.

Speaking last month, Hermoso’s agent Inaki Espizua told CN24TV: “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. It’s not a given that he will go and play elsewhere, but when you sign a contract there must be a common project and at the moment, we are far from a renewal with Atletico Madrid. 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 and this is the player’s aspiration.”

Despite Espizua’s comments, CaughtOffside have claimed Aston Villa are at the front of the race to secure Hermoso’s services on a free transfer during the summer and revealed the defender has already rejected one proposal for a new deal with Atleti. Newcastle, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Juventus and Besiktas are all said to have shown an interest in Hermoso - but Villa are described as ‘confident’ in their bid to land the defender.