Bayern Munich has been consistently investing in central defense over the last four seasons. The Bavarian club paid a significant fee to sign Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus last summer. De Ligt came in as a replacement for Niklas Sule in the squad. The German defender left Bayern to sign for Borussia Dortmund on a free transfer.
The upcoming summer transfer window may also see Die Roten investing in central defense. Benjamin Pavard has already told the club about his desire to experience a new adventure. The French defender is likely to be sold as Die Roten doesn’t want to lose him on a free transfer at the end of the 2023/24 season.
Along with Pavard, Bayern also faces a contract headache with Lucas Hernandez. The former Atletico Madrid center-back is yet to sign a new deal despite contract talk taking place during Ruckrunde. He also reportedly has an offer from PSG on the table. The recent update from France on Hernandez is worrying for Bayern.
According to Foot Mercato, Lucas Hernandez is leaning towards joining Paris Saint-Germain over extending his contract at Bayern. The French club is eager to bolster the defense this summer by signing a left-footed center-back.
Hernandez also has only 12 months left on his current deal. It will be disastrous for Die Roten if both Pavard and Hernandez left the club in the same window. They had signed both French defenders for a fee of over €100 million to become the mainstay of their defense for a long time.
Thomas Tuchel will be disappointed if Hernandez also ends up leaving Die Roten. He reportedly wanted Pavard to stay. The German coach is eager to work with Hernandez, but a transfer in the summer window will leave those plans in tatters. Hernandez is expected to be back in action during pre-season after spending Ruckrunde on the sidelines due to a serious knee injury.
Die Roten already has a difficult market to navigate since they want to sign a top-quality striker and defensive midfielder. In such a scenario, losing two key central defenders will be catastrophic. Moreover, the contract situation of both defenders will not help Bayern to get a significant fee for them.
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If the reports about Hernandez’s future are true, Bayern may have to take the risk of him running down the deal. They will have to keep one of Pavard and Hernandez in the squad for next season. The next few weeks are crucial for Bayern’s plans for the summer.