The upcoming summer transfer could become tricky for Bayern Munich as they suffer a big setback in the contract talks with Lucas Hernandez. The French defender could end up being on the market as he enters the final 12 months of his current deal.
As per a report from Foot Mercato on Tuesday evening, Lucas Hernandez has put contract talks with Bayern on hold amidst interest from Paris Saint-Germain. Sport1s Kerry Hau also confirmed that PSG has made a contract offer to Hernandez, and there is also interest from one English club. The French defender is assessing all options ahead of the summer transfer window.
There were further developments in French media on Wednesday. According to L’Equipe (via GFFN), Hernandez has reached an agreement with PSG for a transfer. However, Bayern has no plans to sell Hernandez despite PSG agreeing personal terms with Hernandez.
The record Bundesliga Champions have been negotiating a new deal with Lucas Hernandez for the majority of the Ruckrunde. The French defender suffered a serious knee injury during World Cup 2022, but Die Roten was determined to secure his future.
As reported: No final decision, there are two options (move to PSG or new Bayern contract) and it's up to Lucas.
— Kerry Hau (@kerry_hau) May 25, 2023
Several sources close to him have reconfirmed today that he is attracted by the offer from PSG but that a contract extension is also possible. This is the situation. https://t.co/2oEThL1fCq
The lengthy contract negotiations have certainly allowed other clubs to test the possibility of signing him in the summer. Paris Saint-Germain is looking to reinforce their defense in the summer. The French club has a long-standing interest in Hernandez, so it is not surprising to see them making a move for him.
Bayern will need a firm decision from Lucas Hernandez before the start of the summer window. They cannot let speculation grow over his future and end up losing him for a free transfer at the end of next season. The Bavarian club lost Niklas Sule on a free transfer last summer. Losing star players on free transfers in their peak years will paint a bad image of the sporting project at Die Roten.
Thomas Tuchel is excited about working with Hernandez, so losing the French defender will be a big blow to his plans for the next season. Despite a few frustrating injuries, the French international has been a very solid center-back for Die Roten since arriving from Atletico Madrid in 2019.
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Bayern still has time to salvage this situation, but the dragged-out contract talks with Hernandez don’t reflect well on the current management. Along with Hernandez, Benjamin Pavard also finds himself in a similar contract scenario before the summer transfer window.