James: Hoeness says midfielder's future in Bayern's hands
The Bayern Munich president sent a message to the Colombia midfielder and reiterated the Bavarians' interest in Atlético's Lucas Hernández.
Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has warned James Rodríguez that whatever the player’s desire is regarding his future beyond the end of the season, the Bundesliga giants will have the final say as to whether he stays at the Allianz Arena or moves on.
James has been a divisive figure in Bavaria and has not been a regular starter under Niko Kovac, leading the Colombian to hint that he would like to return to parent club Real Madrid ahead of the 2019-20 campaign after a two-year loan at Bayern expires.
James Rodríguez will stay if we pay, says Hoeness
“It all depends on what our coach decides,” Hoeness, speaking to Sport1, said of the unilateral purchase clause inserted in the midfielder’s loan agreement. “If he [Kovac] says he wants James for next season, we’ll pay the 42 million euros. It is up to us what happens. We have an option we can either trigger before May or not. If we decide that’s what we will do, he will have to stay. But we haven’t yet made any decision on the subject.”
The Bayern president also spoke about Atlético Madrid’s Lucas Hernández, who has been a recent target for the Bundesliga giants, and suggested they have not given up on their pursuit of the World Cup winner. “I imagine we will pay his release clause if we have the opportunity to do so. He is a world champion,” Hoeness said of the 23-year-old, whose minimum release clause stands at 85 million euros.