Atletico Madrid Aiming to Keep Bayern Munich Target Lucas Hernandez Until End of the Season

Atletico Madrid are looking to keep hold of Bayern Munich target Lucas Hernandez until the end of this season despite reports linking him with a switch in January. 

The 22-year-old, who is currently sidelined with a knee injury, has been the subject of an €85m bid lodged by the Bundesliga side to sign the World Cup winner at the turn of the year, although officials at Los Rojiblancos have denied that an agreement is in place. 

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According to MARCA however, Atletico Madrid's position on the matter has now changed, with the club now aiming to halt any proposed transfer until the summer, with both parties believing a more amicable deal can be struck up once the season has concluded. 

The report also claims that Atleti's chief executive, Miguel Angel Gil Marin, and some the club's more established players such as Antoine Griezmann have attempted to persuade the World Cup winner to remain at the Wanda Metropolitano, although the defender is said to have already decided to leave the Spanish club. 

Hernandez has spent his entire career at Atletico Madrid, making 105 appearances for the club, winning the Europa League at the end of the 2017/18 season, before following that up with success in the UEFA Super Cup against Real Madrid at the beginning of this campaign. 

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Should the defender move to Bayern Munich, he could become one of Die Roten's most highly paid players, with the Bavarian club set to offer Hernandez a yearly salary of €8.5m in order to push the deal through.