Arsenal are on the lookout for a new central defender and a door could well have opened with Espanyol’s Mario Hermoso reportedly available in the summer.
The 22-year-old has just 12 months left on his current deal and Los Periquitos will be keen to cash in on him rather than to let him walk away for free at the end of next season.
Hermoso has massively improved since joining Espanyol from Real Madrid back in 2017 and the report reveals that Atletico Madrid are interested in him.
However, Hermoso has also attracted interest from outside of Spain with The Daily Mail reporting back in May that Arsenal have held talks with the Spaniard over a potential deal in the summer.
Unai Emery’s side massively struggled with their defence last season which cost them a spot in the top four of the Premier League. The Gunners also faltered in the final of the Europa League, which further proved their need for a top central defender.
Shkodran Mustafi had an incredibly poor season while skipper Laurent Koscielny is quickly nearing the end of his career. Sokratis Papastathopoulos is also in his thirties which leaves the Gunners with just Rob Holding and Calum Chambers as their recognised central defenders.
Hermoso would be a brilliant addition to Emery’s squad next season and with just a year left on his contract Arsenal could potentially snap him up for a cut-price deal. However, with Atletico Madrid’s reported interest in him, Arsenal may have some tough competition to overcome if they are to solve one of their key issues this summer.