Mario Hermoso to Arsenal: Gunners in race to sign defender – Reports

Mario Hermoso to Arsenal: Gunners have entered the race to sign Espanyol central defender Mario Hermoso.

Arsenal are 5th in the Premier League at the moment, having made a solid comeback after a disappointing start to the season.

The Gunners are on a 16-match unbeaten streak across all competitions. Their last defeat came in the second match of the season against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

However, Arsenal are without a win in their last three Premier League games, as all the matches ended in a draw. Unai Emery’s side were held to a 1-1 draw by Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend, which pushed them further away from city rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the league table.

And so, Arsenal are reportedly in the transfer market for a defender, and Mario Hermoso’s name has been surfacing on the top of the list.

Mario Hermoso to Arsenal:

Mario Hermoso was a Real Madrid player before signing for Espanyol in 2017. He played for Real Madrid’s C and B sides, but didn’t make an appearance for the senior team.

Bayern are ready to pay the €40m release clause of Espanyol CB Mario Hermoso (23). However, Real Madrid are also interested in Hermoso who is their former player and have a €7.5m buy back clause for him. Bayern hope to convince the player by offering him more game time [Cope] pic.twitter.com/9uEdvnvxsy

— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) November 11, 2018

The Spanish club inserted a buy-back clause on his sale to Espanyol, which allows Real Madrid to spend only 7.5m to avail his signature.

While Real Madrid are keen on signing the player, Spanish outlet Marca has reported that Arsenal have also shown interest in the central defender.

CB:

1. Matthijs de Ligt
B: 1999
P: CB
P: €60-70m

2. Benjamin Pavard
B: 1996
P: CB(main),RB,DM
P: €35m

3. Mario Hermoso
B: 1995
P: CB(main),LB
P: €40m

Biggest +:
De Ligt: highest ceiling, generational talent
Pavard: versatile, cheap, RB Backup
Hermoso: fast, left footed pic.twitter.com/HJdtRZ1LY9

— Complaxes (@Complaxes) November 12, 2018

Hermoso recently received his debut international call-up with Spain after impressive performances for Espanyol this season. The defender hasn’t missed a single minute for Espanyol in the 2018/19 season, and has been a key member of the squad as the club stands at 5th in the league, above Real Madrid.

Various reports claim that Bayern Munich are also keen on signing the player in January. The defending German champions have had a tough season so far, and the hopes of another title seem to be slipping away after Borussia Dortmund registered a 3-2 victory over the side last weekend.

So excited to watch Mario Hermoso play for Spain. Probably the best central back that Spain has produced over the last decade, even tho he is 23, absolutely in love with him. Excited to watch what he can do with Ramos.

— Spanish Gooner (@elspanishgooner) November 8, 2018

What next?

All the three sides reportedly in race to sign the defender are currently battling to move into the top-four of their respective domestic leagues. However, Real Madrid have an obvious edge because of the buy-back clause on the player.