Atlético to lower Lucas Hernández's price-tag in summer to avoid January exit
Sport Bild claim that Atlético Madrid have negotiated with Bayern Munich in order to avoid any possibilty of Lucas Hernández's exit in the January transfer window.
As Atlético Madrid took part in an open training session in front of thousands of fans at the Wanda Metropolitano this Wednesday morning, reports in Germany have emerged that the LaLiga club has negotiated with Bayern Munich in order to avoid any possibilty of Lucas Hernández's exit in the January transfer window.
According to Sport Bild, Atlético, who are keen to hold onto Hernández for the rest of the season, have proposed to sell him to Bayern for less than the value of his 80-million buyout clause, if the German club wait until the summer to sign him.
A world-cup winner with France, Hernández has been a key figure for Diego Simeone in a defensive line-up weakened by injury, mainly due to his versatility to play at both centre back, his natural position, and at left back, a position he has grown into in recent seasons due to the successive absences of Luis Felipe through injury.
Hernández himself is currently side-lined due to a knee injury picked up against Alavés on December 8, but is nearing his return to full fitness. The Frenchman continued his recovery at Altético's training ground in the Madrid suburb of Majadahonda this Wednesday, while the rest of his team mates trained in front of the fans at the Wanda.
Last week, Atlético Madrid president Miguel Ángel Gil Marín said that club are willing to sit down with Bayern to negotiate Hernández’s transfer, but would not be willing to let him go in until the end of the season.
"We have a good relationship with Bayern and we will meet with them n January to assess the situation. But the player cannot leave in this winter market,” Gil Marín told Goal.
“If the player wants to leave, we’ll talk but always about July.”
According to Sport Bild, the two clubs have now closed the door on a January exit as a result of Atlético’s condition to sell him at a lower price in summer, allowing Simeone to rely on him for the rest of the season before his likely move to Bayern in July.
