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Bayern Munich left-back Juan Bernat linked with return to Spain

By Benjamin Scott

LEIPZIG, GERMANY - MARCH 18: Juan Bernat of Muenchen controls the ball during the Bundesliga match between RB Leipzig and FC Bayern Muenchen at Red Bull Arena on March 18, 2018 in Leipzig, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
LEIPZIG, GERMANY - MARCH 18: Juan Bernat of Muenchen controls the ball during the Bundesliga match between RB Leipzig and FC Bayern Muenchen at Red Bull Arena on March 18, 2018 in Leipzig, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) /
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Juan Bernat, back-up to David Alaba at left-back, has been linked with a move away from Bayern Munich this summer.

Juan Bernat’s time at Bayern Munich has been a mixed bag of results. After enjoying a relatively good debut campaign with the club, he was not nearly as impressive in his ’15-16 sophomore season.

During the pre-season, Bernat looked set to play an important role for the Bavarians this campaign. However, after spending much time on the sidelines injured, Bernat has been a bit disappointing after his return.

Most recently, Bernat was quite poor in Bayern’s narrow 2-1 win over Sevilla in Champions League play. The Spaniard was largely at fault for the home side’s lone goal.

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That being said, Bernat has shown some moments of brilliance this season. This past weekend, in fact, Bernat put in a good enough at performance at left-wing against Augsburg.

Despite some lackluster displays in Bavaria, there’s no denying Bernat’s talent and potential. Though strictly a back-up at Bayern, the Spaniard is certainly good enough to be a surefire starter at many clubs across Europe.

With his contract expiring in 2019, it’s very possible Bernat seeks an early exit from the club this summer in hopes of more first-team action. A recent report from Spanish outlet Sport, Atletico Madrid are a club very much interested in acquiring Bernat’s talents.

Courtesy of recent transfer bans, Atletico have one of the smallest squads in Europe. They’ll no doubt be looking to add heavily to their squad this summer in preparation for their next season.

This isn’t the first time in recent months Bernat has been linked with a move away from Bayern Munich. Many expect Bernat to depart Munich after spending four seasons in Germany’s Star of the South.

The Bavarians were not long ago linked with a move for Cologne and German national team left-back Jonas Hector. The German apparently has a release clause in his contract that would become active should Cologne be relegated.

Bayern’s reported interest in Hector could be a further signal of Bernat’s intent to leave the club this upcoming summer. It could also be an indication that Bayern are preparing for life without their Spanish full-back.

Next: The Bavarian Collective: What moves should Bayern make in the summer?

Sure, he’s talented, but Juan Bernat doesn’t seem to have what it takes to play consistently at Bayern Munich. He definitely doesn’t look like challenging David Alaba for a starting spot. If he wants to be a starter, he’ll have to leave Bavaria. And he might just do that this summer.

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