Aston Villa slipped down to fifth in the Premier League table over the weekend after they were held to a 3-3 draw by Brentford at home on Saturday.
That result allowed Tottenham Hotspur to move above them and into fourth place in the race to secure Champions League football for the 2024/25 campaign.
The Premier League could end up with five spots for the competition, however, and that would mean that the Villans would need to maintain their position above Manchester United, who are 11 points behind Unai Emery's men as it stands.
Securing Champions League football could be a big pull for the club in the summer transfer window, as it could convince targets to pick them over other teams without that draw.
Aston Villa's interest in La Liga titan
HITC have provided an update on rumoured Midlands target Mario Hermoso, claiming that Aston Villa are in fact one of three Premier League teams interested in a deal to sign the defender on a free transfer from Atletico Madrid this summer.
Newcastle United and West Ham, who are eighth and seventh respectively in the league, are also said to be keen on a swoop for the central defender, and they do not look set to be able to offer Champions League football to him, which could give the Villans the advantage in that particular fight.
The report claims that all three teams have made contact with the player's representatives to uncover what his demands will be as a free agent at the end of the season.
Speaking on CN24TV, via HITC, Hermoso's representative – Inaki Espizua – has now claimed that the 28-year-old ace wants to play in a "major league" and is set to "evaluate" his options in the summer, as no final decision has been made on his future at this moment in time.
Espizua added that the player wants to compete for "important" goals, which suggests that Villa qualifying for the Champions League could be key as they would be competing for the biggest trophy in European club football.
Mario Hermoso's season in numbers
The Atletico enforcer could come in as a dream replacement for Clement Lenglet, who is currently on loan from Barcelona, as a left-footed centre-back.
Hermoso has made 23 appearances in La Liga so far this season and caught the eye with 2.7 tackles and interceptions combined per match and a duel success rate of 58%, which shows that he has won the majority of his physical battles.
Appearances
23
13
Ball recoveries per game
5.9
2.5
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.7
1.5
Progressive passes per 90
6.43
4.23
Progressive carries per 90
1.20
2.20
As you can see in the table above, Hermoso has won possession back for his side far more frequently than Lenglet has for Villa, through recoveries, tackles, and interceptions.
The Spanish gem, on around £135,000-a-week, has also made more than two more progressive passes per 90 than the current Villa defender, which suggests that he could improve Emery's side when it comes to building out from the back by breaking lines and bypassing the opposition's press.
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It is now down to Villa to enjoy a strong end to the season to ensure that they are in the best possible position to offer Hermoso an attractive project to join this summer.
