Espanyol 'expect Mario Hermoso to join Real Madrid'

Espanyol reportedly expect Mario Hermoso to re-join Real Madrid in the January transfer window.

The 23-year-old came through the youth system at the Bernabeu before joining Espanyol in the summer of 2017.

The Spaniard has impressed during his time with the Catalan outfit, and it has recently been reported that Madrid want to re-sign the defender at the start of 2019.

According to Marca, Espanyol are preparing for life after Hermoso, with Madrid believed to have the chance to re-sign the defender for as little as £6.6m due to a clause in his contract.

Hermoso, who is a former Spain Under-19 international, has scored twice in 11 La Liga appearances for Espanyol this term.