Sevilla have bookmarked Manchester United’s Javier Hernandez as a possible successor for Carlos Bacca, coach Unai Emery has confirmed.
Hernandez spent last season on loan at Real Madrid, but has returned to United after the Spanish giants opted against making the deal permanent and now La Liga rivals Sevilla have emerged as the frontrunners for the Mexican’s signature.
The 27-year-old is surplus to requirements for Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford and Emery confirmed the club is interested in replacing Bacca - who left for AC Milan last month - with the pint-sized forward.
The Sevilla coach also admitted that Borussia Dortmund striker Ciro Immobile remains in the club’s thoughts should they fail in their pursuit of Hernandez, which was made complicated after the striker fractured his collarbone while on international duty last week.
"Now we have to find another Bacca, with a different name but with similar characteristics to those who his predecessors when they arrived at Sevilla," Emery told Corriere dello Sport.
"It’s not easy, but there are opportunities: there is Chicharito, Immobile and other players that we are evaluating. [Juventus forward Fernando] Llorente? He’s a top player just like the others I’ve named, but it’s not easy to get them.
"What’s important is the desire, not the age. But we don’t want players who could cost too much."
The Mexican has been deployed as a back-up striker since arriving at United in 2010, but his goalscoring record speaks for itself. Of players to have scored more than 30 goals in the last five Premier League seasons, only two strikers have netted more frequently than Hernandez (129.6mins).
For more stats on Javier Hernandez, click here to check out his WhoScored player page
