Unconvincing. Unwanted. Loaned out. Injured. Back to Roma. Waiting to be sold. And now, suddenly, a starter for Gasperini’s team after a successful preseason. In twelve months, Mario Hermoso has seen and experienced it all.
Whether you like it or not, it looks like Hermoso is here to stay after convincing Gasperini in the preseason and in Roma’s first official game of the season. Due to Zeki Celik’s suspension, the Spaniard got the nod over Daniele Ghilardi and Devyne Rensch, and he didn’t disappoint
against Bologna. To be fair, he didn’t set the world on fire either, but he did a more than decent job. Gian Piero Gasperini’s teams are all about attacking anyway; the defense just has to clean up the mess and make sure we concede as few goals as possible without too much nonsense.
In September 2024, nearly twelve months ago, Hermoso signed a three-year contract with Roma as a free agent, after playing over 170 games for Atletico Madrid. Since the Giallorossi didn’t have to pay a transfer fee, they had to offset it with wages. And that’s exactly what has been troubling Mario all this time.
He was being paid as an undisputed starter, but in reality, coaches preferred Mats Hummels, Gianluca Mancini, Evan Ndicka, and Zeki Celik. Initially mainly a starter in the Europa League, Hermoso wasn’t getting much playing time in Serie A. In fact, his first full 90 minutes didn’t come until a mid-December match against Como. Even worse, after the Coppa game versus Sampdoria on December 18, Hermoso was not part of the squad for eight straight games across all competitions.
What followed was a disappointing loan to Bayer Leverkusen in the winter. Less than 300 minutes in the Bundesliga, a 20-minute sub in the German Cup, and two months sidelined with an injury. How the mighty have fallen. Whatever happened to the guy who was one of Atletico’s key players for five seasons? Who was part of their famous La Liga-winning team in 2021?
By the time Hermoso returned to Roma in June, his career appeared finished. Leverkusen was ready to let him go, and Roma probably wouldn’t welcome him back warmly. Because of his high wages, Mario had to be sold or, at worst, loaned out again. However, Hermoso gradually proved himself to the new coach Gasperini in training and even convinced him to keep Mario around for now.
Roma needs more leadership and defensive stability, especially after recent departures. Hummels retired; Marash Kumbulla returned to Spain; Victor Nelsson went back to Galatasaray. Evan Ndicka is just entering his prime, while Ghilardi, only 22, was added over the summer, and Jan Ziolkowski, who just turned 20, was signed this week. Celik is a temporary RCB and not a natural defender. This leaves Mancini as the only experienced and vocal defender. However, that’s not enough to compete in three tournaments and succeed in at least two of them.
Roma needs another veteran, someone with enough experience to mentor the younger players, much like Chris Smalling did a few years ago. At 30, Hermoso fits the bill. He’s not a spring chicken, but he’s not Hummels or Thiago Silva either. He still has 3-4 years of top-level football in him.
He played the full 90 minutes against Bologna and is expected to start again versus Pisa this weekend. Rumors about Hermoso have subsided, allowing him and Gasp to focus entirely on the 2025-2026 season. Having already lost a whole year, he cannot afford another setback—this is his chance to prove last year’s struggles were a fluke, not to mention justifying his substantial salary.
If Mario can redeem himself this season and play at his 2021 level, keeping Hermoso might be the best move Roma made this summer.
