Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United are reportedly considering launching a summer move to sign Bayern Munich and France defender Lucas Hernandez.
According to Fichajes, Bayern Munich defender Lucas Hernandez could be open for a new challenge in his career from next season, with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United showing an interest in the versatile Frenchman.
Lucas Hernandez came through the youth ranks at Atletico Madrid. He made 110 appearances for Los Rojiblancos before earning a big-money move to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2019. He has been a regular in the side for the Bavarian giants for the majority of his stint, featuring 89 times across all competitions.
Hernandez has a contract with Die Roten until the summer of 2024, but the report says that the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner is thinking about returning to Spain, while he would also be open to switching to the Premier League. It has led to an interest in the defender’s services, with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United emerging as suitors for the 26-year-old.
Barcelona are in the market for defensive reinforcements and are already closing in on the signing of Chelsea ace Andreas Christensen on a free transfer. However, another centre-back would be welcome, considering that both Samuel Umtiti and Clement Lenglet are expected to leave, and Gerard Pique is entering the final phase of his career.
Hernandez, to that end, can be a fine acquisition for Barcelona as he can not only address their problems at centre-back but also provide cover to Jordi Alba at left-back. The Blaugrana were eyeing a move for the French international last summer itself and could now decide to attempt to land him later this year.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, are also looking at the possibility of strengthening their backline in the centre-back and left-back positions. They need more quality in the central defensive department beyond Eder Militao and David Alaba. At the same time, a new left-sided full-back could also become a necessity, amid question marks over the future of Juventus target Ferland Mendy.
Hernandez, to that end, would be the ideal option to look at, given his ability to play at centre-back and left-back, along with his experience of playing for a title-winning outfit. His brother, Theo Hernandez, spent time at Real Madrid despite his previous association with Atletico Madrid, and the 26-year-old Lucas could follow suit.
As for Manchester United, they are likely to spend big on a new defender yet again amidst question marks over the future of Eric Bailly, Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe. In addition, there are calls for the club to offload captain Harry Maguire who is having a disastrous season. Even if he does stay, an upgrade in the position is warranted. And Hernandez is among several targets that the Red Devils are looking at.
Bayern Munich are already set to lose Niklas Sule at the end of the season. So, it could be tricky for Barcelona, Real Madrid or Manchester United to convince them to part ways with Lucas Hernandez as well. It remains to be seen if their interest in the Frenchman leads to anything substantial in the coming months.
