Benjamin Pavard Wants Lucas Hernandez to Join Him at Bayern Munich

Benjamin Pavard has urged France international team-mate Lucas Hernandez to leave Atletico Madrid and join him at Bayern Munich next season, but he said it's a matter between the player and Bavarians.

Speaking to SportBild (h/t Goal's Charles Jones), Pavard said he would be "proud" to call Hernandez his team-mate in Germany: "We are very good friends, and I think it would be fantastic if Lucas also came to Bayern. He proved that he is a great player, first together for France, then for Bayern―that would make me proud."

Jones noted Hernandez has been linked with Bayern for some time now, and club president Uli Hoeness has openly discussed trying to land the Frenchman.

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The Bavarians concluded a deal for Pavard in January, and the Stuttgart man is set to make the switch to the Allianz Arena in the summer.

According to Bild's Christian Falk, Hernandez will join him:

Pavard and Hernandez were both members of the France squad that won the 2018 FIFA World Cup last summer, flashing their talent and versatility in defence.

Both are capable of switching between the centre-back and full-back positions without any issues, playing most of their minutes for Les Bleus out wide. At 23 years old, Hernandez is one year older than Pavard, and both still have ample room for growth.

The two already look like tremendous building blocks for the France national team, and reuniting them at the club level could have a similar impact. Hernandez won't come cheap, however, as his buyout clause is set at €80m (£69m/$91m), per Jones.

Such a fee would be almost double Bayern's transfer record, paid for French midfielder Corentin Tolisso.

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The Bavarians have shifted their transfer policy to signing younger players in the past few years, and Hernandez would fit that new philosophy. The likes of Niklas Sule, Leon Goretzka, Alphonso Davies, Serge Gnabry and Renato Sanches were all signings made with long-term upside in mind.

Sule, Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels have seen most of the minutes at centre-back this season, and Hernandez would likely be brought in to provide competition for those spots. Hummels remains an elite option at the position, but injuries have sapped Boateng of some of his athleticism and Sule is still developing as a player.

Bayern's defence has struggled this season, conceding 26 goals in 23 Bundesliga matches already.

Atletico are not expected to sell Hernandez on the cheap in the summer, with interested clubs likely having to pay the full amount of his buyout clause to land him.