Aston Villa and West Ham will have to stump up £80,000 per week in wages to sign Spanish defender Mario Hermoso on a free transfer this summer, according to reports.
The 29-year-old joined Atletico Madrid from Espanyol back in July 2019 for a reported €29m (per OneFootball), going on to make 174 appearances for the club across all competitions.
During that time, Hermoso won the 2020/21 La Liga title, while adding another two international caps to his name to take his senior tally to five.
However, Hermoso’s contract with Atletico Madrid expired this summer. Given his status as a left-footed centre-back and free agent, the defender is already attracting serious attention in the market.
According to HITC, Aston Villa are ‘confident’ they can convince Hermoso to come on board after qualifying for the Champions League, while it’s understood West Ham, Newcastle United and Napoli are also interested.
Hermoso wage demands revealed
According to Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb, Hermoso is well aware of the value he brings to the market — with high-quality left-footed centre-backs a rarity, especially as free agents.
With that in mind, it’s reported that the Spaniard will demand an £80,000 per week salary from any club wishing to sign him.
Like any high-profile free agent in Europe, there have been suggestions Hermoso could move to Saudi Arabia. However, his agent, Inaki Espizua, has ruled that out, insisting his client remains ambitious and wants to continue playing in a ‘major league’.
“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,” Espizua told CN24TV.
“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, this is the player’s aspiration.”
