Report: Rumored Bayern Munich target Luca Netz set to renew contract at Hertha Berlin

Per a new report from kicker, Hertha Berlin are close to renewing Luca Netz’s contract at the club, as his original contract was set to expire this summer. Last week, it was reported that Bayern Munich was interested in signing the 17-year-old defender as at least one replacement for David Alaba, who will be leaving Bayern this summer.

It was understood that Netz would be relatively inexpensive for Bayern with an upcoming expiring contract, but now that Hertha is likely to extend said contract, it would mean he’d be a bit more expensive for Bayern. Signing him might still be on the table, but it’s certainly now gotten a little bit more complicated.

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Back at the beginning of December, Netz was awarded the Fitz Walter bronze metal is the third best U-17 player in Germany behind Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz and Bayern Munich II’s Torben Rhein. So far for Hertha’s senior squad this season, Netz has featured six times in the Bundesliga and four for their reserves in the Regionalliga Nordost. Netz has primarily played as a left-back.

A lot of this also hinges on whether or not Bayern is able to get RB Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano this summer. If Bayern was to get that deal over the line, Upamecano would 100% be a starter at center-back, so he’d be lining up alongside either Lucas Hernandez, Niklas Sule, or potentially even Jerome Boateng if he stays and renews his contract at Bayern.

Adding Upamecano to the ranks would certainly leave less room for Netz, as he would then be a backup to both Davies and Hernandez. There are a lot of moving parts, but if Bayern’s deal with Leipzig for Upamecano falls through, Netz could potentially be an option consistent with Bayern’s model of buying young and cheap players.