Barcelona have reportedly set their sights on Lucas Hernandez, although the 25-year-old French defender could be out of reach for them.
According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are interested in signing Lucas Hernandez in the summer transfer window. However, the 25-year-old French defender is unlikely to be poached away from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, owing to his valuation.
Lucas Hernandez joined Bayern Munich from Atletico Madrid in an €80 million deal in the summer of 2019 and has since made gradual progress in his career. A key member of the French national side that won the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the 25-year-old has had to share game time at the Allianz Arena so far.
To date, Hernandez has made 62 appearances for the reigning Bundesliga champions, chipping in with a goal and five assists. And in the season gone by, he seemed to have grown in stature at Bayern Munich, which is perhaps why a club like Barcelona might have set their sights on him.
Barcelona have bolstered their defence this summer by signing Eric Garcia on a Bosman move after the expiration of his deal with Manchester City. However, the Blaugrana need to sign another central defender in the wake of the uncertain futures that Samuel Umtiti and Clement Lenglet are facing at Camp Nou.
To that end, the Blaugrana have been linked with a number of centre-backs, including Mathias Ginter. And now, Ginter’s fellow Bundesliga defender Lucas Hernandez has popped up on Barcelona’s radar this summer.
The 25-year-old, though, could be a twin-pronged solution for the Catalan giants, as he can also be deployed as a left-back, essaying the role equally adeptly as he does at the heart of the defence. Barcelona are indeed in the market for a left-back as well, with Jordi Alba approaching the final phase of his career and Alejandro Balde still in the nascent stages of his.
As a result, Barcelona have also been eyeing versatile defenders like Mario Hermoso, with Lucas Hernandez fitting the bill as well. However, while the French international is a viable target for Barcelona, they might have to set their sights on someone like Hermoso instead, owing to his steep valuation.
While a figure has not been mentioned pertaining to the said valuation, the report asserts that Barcelona cannot afford to sign Hernandez this summer. What now remains to be seen is if the La Liga heavyweights end up turning their attention elsewhere to reinforce their backline or if they are forced to suffice with what they have currently got.
