Aston Villa may be flying high in the Premier League and in Europe, but that has not stopped Unai Emery from thinking about the future.
With a Champions League berth up for grabs in the coming weeks, the Spaniard is clearly thinking about bolstering his starting XI ahead of next season as he eyes up a move for a La Liga defender…
Aston Villa in the market for a defender
During the winter transfer window, Villa were showing plenty of interest in Atlético Madrid centre-back Mario Hermoso, who was coming to the end of his contract with the Spanish side.
Fast-forward a few months, however, and it appears as though Emery is serious about securing the defender ahead of 2024/25.
Metric
La Liga
Champions League
Accurate passes per game
54.6
65.4
Tackles per game
1.7
0.8
Interceptions per game
1
0.6
Possession lost per game
11.1
13.5
Total duels won per game
4.8
2.6
Via Sofascore
According to reports in Spain, via TEAMtalk, Villa have begun talks to sign Hermoso as they look to significantly bolster their first-team squad. It's stated the player's reps are directly trying to find him a new home from next term.
Securing his signature on a free transfer could be a wise investment by Emery, allowing him to divert funds into other areas of the team. Clement Lenglet will return to Barcelona once his season-long loan deal expires at the end of May and Hermoso could be an ideal replacement for the Frenchman.
Mario Hermoso’s statistics in 2023/24
Lenglet has played just 22 times for the Midlands side in all competitions this season, having to wait until December 22 to make his Premier League bow.
While he has been useful of late due to injuries to the likes of Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa, the defender will return to his parent club in the summer.
Hermoso, on the other hand, has been a regular for Atlético this season, making 36 appearances in all competitions, and has shown his class in La Liga.
Indeed, among his teammates, the 28-year-old currently ranks second for accurate passes per game (54.6) in the Spanish top flight along with ranking first for accurate long balls per game (4.5), fourth for clearances per game (2.9) and sixth for interceptions per game (one), evidently proving how important he is to the side.
The Spaniard was hailed as a “revelation” by football writer Zach Lowy just a few years ago and it is clear that Hermoso has the required attributes to be a success in the Premier League, as he aims to follow in the footsteps of his compatriot Torres.
The 5 foot 11 defender also impresses when compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, ranking in the top 4% for progressive passes per 90 (6.16) and in the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90 (0.59), indicating that he would move the ball out from the defence with ease and is not fazed at taking on opposition players as he looks to transition the ball quickly during matches.
These statistics suggest he would be an ideal replacement for Lenglet ahead of next season. If Villa go on to secure qualification for the Champions League, they will have a defender who has made 28 appearances in the competition, which could prove to be all the difference.