The upcoming summer transfer window is set to become even more tricky for Bayern Munich as they face the prospect of losing two central defenders. Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez have entered the final 12 months of their current deal at Die Roten.
Pavard has reportedly rejected a contract renewal as he wants to leave Bundesliga for a new experience. The French defender looked likely to do a u-turn at one point in Ruckrunde, but contract talks have not taken place as he remains eager for a new experience.
According to Sky Sports in Germany, Bayern wants €30-40 million, excluding bonuses for Pavard. The record Bundesliga champions are also open to doing a swap deal if they get desired players. Pavard is subject to interest from several clubs, which include Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Manchester City. Both Milan clubs are also interested in signing him. Die Roten had paid a similar fee to sign Pavard from VfB Stuttgart in 2019.
Significant interest from several big clubs in Europe shows what a big miss Pavard will be for Die Roten. The record Bundesliga champions can soften the blow by getting a good fee. They will hope to see a bidding war for the French international due to interest from several clubs.
News #Pavard: Bayern is also willing to sell him (next to #Hernández)! As they know that Pavard definitely wants to leave the club in summer.
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) June 3, 2023
➡️ It’s a question of the price now
➡️ First ideas about a potential swap deal + fee or €30-40m + bonus payments
➡️ His options… pic.twitter.com/lIDVAsh5jc
Meanwhile, Sky Sports also revealed that Bayern had set a price of €60 million (excluding bonuses) for Lucas Hernandez. The French international is a left-footed center-back, which makes his profile very unique and appealing. He can also play in the left-back position, so Rekordmeister wants a big fee for him.
Bayern paid close to €70 million for Hernandez when they signed him from Atletico Madrid in 2019. They want to recoup the majority of that fee this summer if he refuses to sign a new contract.
Rekordmeister wanted to secure the future of Hernandez. They were confident about extending his contract during the second half of the season. However, PSG has reportedly jumped in and offered Hernandez a lucrative long-term deal. The French defender is now leaning towards moving to Paris instead of signing a new deal at Die Roten.
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Thomas Tuchel will be disappointed if both French defenders end up leaving Bavaria this summer. He admired Pavard’s quality, selecting him in the starting XI consistently in the last two months. The German coach was also looking forward to working with Hernandez next season since he missed Ruckrunde due to a knee injury. It’s a shame that there is a big chance of Bayern losing two defenders at the peak of their careers. The record Bundesliga champions will have to look for a quality center-back in the summer.