The future of Mario Hermoso remains uncertain, with both Inter Milan and Napoli vying for the Spanish defender’s signature. Hermoso, who recently became a free agent after his contract with Atletico Madrid expired, has shown a strong interest in moving to Italy.
Calciomercato report that despite receiving lucrative offers from Arab clubs and interest from the Premier League, Hermoso has not yet committed to any team. This hesitation suggests his preference for a Serie A move. To facilitate this, the defender is reportedly willing to lower his initial salary demand of €5 million net per season.
Inter manager Simone Inzaghi is particularly keen on securing Hermoso, viewing him as an ideal reinforcement for the defense. Inzaghi is pushing for the club’s management, Marotta and Ausilio, to convince Oaktree (Inter’s financial backers) to approve the deal. The player’s wage demands and agent commissions are reportedly within the club’s parameters.
On the other hand, Napoli appears more determined to complete the Hermoso operation. However, club owner De Laurentiis has imposed a condition: before advancing negotiations with Hermoso, Napoli must first find new clubs for at least two of their current defenders – Ostigard, Juan Jesus, or Natan.
This delay could work in Inter’s favor, as Hermoso is eager to start working with his new club as soon as possible, potentially even this week. The race for Hermoso’s signature seems to be a matter of who moves first, with Italy being the player’s priority, but not indefinitely.
