:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62710103/1074862802.jpg.0.jpg)
Strange breaking news from Spain: according to a report by Marca, Bayern Munich will pay Atlético Madrid a whopping €80 million this winter to activate the release clause of French left-back Lucas Hernandez. Hernandez would hypothetically join the team in January as the first step in the rejuvenation of the team. Hernandez is just 22 years old.
Hernandez extended his contract with Atlético just this past summer and his contract runs through 2024. According to Marca, he will sign a four-year contract with Bayern, through 2022.
The young man from Marseille joined Atlético’s first team in the 2015-2016 season and is a versatile player. Hernandez has played a total of 17 games for Atlético this season, totaling 1391 minutes this far. He plays primarily as a center-back, but can also play at left-back. In fact, he was in France’s lineup at left-back when the Équipe Tricolore won the World Cup this past summer against Croatia.
The move has yet to be confirmed.
UPDATE
According to Florian Plettenberg, Atlético’s sporting director Andrea Berta has denied any knowledge of the transfer of Hernandez to Bayern.
EXKLUSIV: Atlético-Sportd. Andrea Berta @SPORT1: „Ich kann das nicht kommentieren. Da müssen sie Kalle fragen. Mir hat der Spieler gesagt, dass er bei Atlético bleiben möchte. Ich glaube nicht, dass diese Meldung richtig ist.“ Zudem bestätigte er mir: Kaufoption beträgt 85 Mio!
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) December 19, 2018
EXCLUSIVE: Atlético sporting director (tells) Sport1: “I cannot comment on that. You have to ask Kalle [i.e. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge]. The player has told me that he’d like to stay at Atlético. I don’t believe that this report is correct.” He moreover confirmed to me: purchase option is €85mil!