Lucas Hernandez Discusses Atletico Madrid Exit Rumours, Real Madrid Approach

Atletico Madrid defender Lucas Hernandez has said he'll sit down with the club to discuss his possible exit at the end of the season and revealed Real Madrid made a bid for his services two years ago.

Hernandez spoke to AS' F.J. Diaz ahead of Saturday's derby clash in La Liga, and when asked about being close to a move to Bayern Munich a few months ago, the 22-year-old said:

"To be totally honest, my personal situation changed and I had to make a decision that wasn't all about me. It's true that in the transfer window there was a bid from another major European side and the first thing I did was relay that to Atletico. They made it clear that it was not an option they wanted to contemplate and we all agreed to review my situation before the end of the current season.

On the subject of interest from Atletico's local rivals, he said: "It's true that approximately two years ago Real Madrid made a significant offer via my agent, but at the time I felt I owed much to Atletico."

As sportswriter Dermot Corrigan shared, the Real revelation may have soaked up the headlines, but the bigger story was about Hernandez's immediate future:

The France international was strongly linked with Bundesliga giants Bayern before and during the January window, and David G. Medina and Isaac Suarez of Marca even reported the Bavarians were willing to trigger his release clause.

It prompted Atletico to release a statement via their official website denying Hernandez had any intention of leaving.

The left-back, who can also play in the centre, has become a key contributor for Los Blancos. He's also a full France international, winning the 2018 FIFA World Cup with Les Bleus.

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His brother Theo Hernandez made the switch to Real in 2017 despite spending the bulk of his youth in Atletico's academy, but the switch hasn't worked out so far, and he's now on loan with Real Sociedad.

Lucas' steady development in the Spanish capital was always going to invite transfer speculation. Bayern's defence is built around the duo of Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng, but the latter in particular has lost a step in the last two years, and the Bavarians could be on the lookout for an upgrade.

They aren't known for spending big in the transfer market, and a move for Hernandez would be out of character, per sportswriter Ryan Baldi:

Hernandez's combination of upside and production makes him a valuable asset who could well be worth north of €80 million. Prices for defenders have soared in recent years, and Atletico won't have any intention of selling on the cheap.

They'll likely have to offer him a significant raise at the end of the season to convince Hernandez to sign a new deal.