Aston Villa ‘to look’ at double La Liga transfer swoop for Fermin Lopez and Mario Hermoso
Aston Villa could be set to complete a double La Liga transfer swoop and sign both Mario Hermoso and Fermin Lopez this summer, according to Alan Hutton.
Athletico Madrid defender Hermoso is set to be a free agent this summer as talks over a new deal in the Spanish capital haven’t advanced [Fabrizio Romano, 27 March] and reports have suggested Unai Emery’s side have offered the centre-back a contract at Villa Park [Sport Mediaset, 24 March].
On top of that, Villa have been credited with an interest in Barcelona youngster Lopez who has been a regular in Xavi’s squad this season after Everton failed to get a deal over the line in the January window [Sport, 25 March]
While Hutton isn’t certain Barcelona would be willing to “sacrifice” the 20-year-old gem, he has admitted that the pair would add an excellent blend of youth and experience to Emery’s current team at Villa Park.
“I think you have to look at both,” Hutton told Villa News.
“You have to look at right now and for the future developing players. He’s only 20, I think he’s played a lot of games for Barcelona this season, they have had injuries don’t get me wrong, but it’s given him the ability to come in and play regular football and have a look at him.
“Is he going to play that guy who’s going to be playing every single week when their main guys come back? I don’t know, I’m not sure. Are Barcelona willing to sacrifice him, but still make a lot of money for him?
“I like teams that look to the future and development to bring players in. Yes, they can play now, but they’re going to get better in time but we have an experienced player coming in that’s going to help us right at this moment.”
Will Unai Emery and Aston Villa be able to complete big transfers this summer?
If Emery and Villa qualify for the Champions League next season, they are going to need to add to their squad to ensure it is at the level required to be a competitive force in the Championship, without losing any key stars.
Both Hermoso and Lopez would represent clever sorts of deals, but Villa have to be aware of profit and sustainability restrictions, otherwise they could be hit with a point deduction in the near future.
Hopefully, Villa will find a way to get both deals and a couple of further additions over the line once the window opens. It is incredibly positive to see them exploring deals for both promising young talents and experienced professionals.
In other Aston Villa news, Emery could be set to allow Jacob Ramsey to complete a £50million transfer exit amid PSR concerns
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