Manchester United chiefs met with free transfer option in Madrid last week

Manchester United executives were reportedly in Madrid last week to hold talks with free agent Mario Hermoso, who is still looking for a new club after leaving Atletico Madrid at the end of his contract this summer.

However, despite these contacts, it seems Man Utd are not expected to prioritise a move for Hermoso at this time, with former Chelsea left-back Marcos Alonso another free agent option who has also been discussed inside Old Trafford, according to The Athletic.

Hermoso looks like a decent option for the Red Devils and other top clubs, especially as repeated injury problems for Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia mean Erik ten Hag could do with reinforcing the left-hand side of his defence.

The 29-year-old left Atletico after a strong campaign last term and some fans will be surprised he still hasn’t found a new club, especially with big names like United clearly exploring this potential deal.

Aston Villa and Newcastle have also looked at Hermoso this summer, as CaughtOffside previously reported, though these deals have not ended up materialising so far.

MUFC have had a busy summer but remain short at left-back, so fans will be questioning why Hermoso doesn’t seem to be a priority, as it’s hard to see that many better options available.