Aston Villa are reportedly closing in on the signing of Atletico Madrid’s Mario Hermoso on a free transfer in the upcoming summer window.
Unai Emery’s squad are set to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 1981 as they come to the end of what was an incredible season.
Now that they are back in Europe’s premier division, it has opened the door to a host of players that may once have been out of their reach.
According to a report from Spanish outlet Diario AS, Aston Villa are close to agreeing a deal for Atletico Madrid defender Hermoso who is set to leave the La Liga giants on a free contract in June.
The Spanish star has been a mainstay under Diego Simeone, making 26 appearances in the league so far this season.
However, according to the report, the 28-year-old would favour a move to the Premier League and that he wants to work with Emery.
The Spanish manager has already shown that he can help players from La Liga excel under his tutelage with defenders Diego Carlos and Pau Torres prime examples of this.
Aston Villa missed out on a golden opportunity to all but seal Champions League qualification on Sunday but they lost 1-0 to Brighton with attention now turning to Tottenham and their clash with Liverpool.