Atletico Madrid defender Mario Hermoso has been linked with a move away from the club at the end of the season and Aston Villa are keen on signing him.
According to the Italian publication Calciomercato, Hermoso is demanding wages of around €6 million in order to join the club.
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It will be interesting to see if Aston Villa are prepared to offer him a lucrative contract. It is no secret that the West Midlands club will have to tighten up at the back and they need to sign a quality defender.
Hermoso has shown his quality in the Spanish league and he is certainly good enough for the Premier League as well. The 28-year-old is at the peak of his powers and he could make an instant impact at the English club.
Aston Villa have had an impressive season and they managed to secure Champions League qualification. They will be competing at the highest level next year and they need quality players at their disposal.
Can Aston Villa afford to pay Mario Hermoso €6m-a-year?
The €6 million contract will be a steep one and it remains to be seen whether the Aston Villa hierarchy are ready to sanction that. Signing Hermoso on a lucrative contract could unsettle the dressing room and other key players could expect a substantial payrise as well. It will be interesting to see how the situation develops.
There is no doubt that the 28-year-old is a quality defender who could improve Aston Villa, but they will want to maintain the wage structure at the club and improve the squad sustainably. It will be interesting to see if Aston Villa can bring in the right reinforcements during the summer window and do well in the European competition next year.
They will be hoping to compete in Europe regularly and Unai Emery needs to bring in the right signings during the summer transfer window and plug the gaps in his squad.