Manchester United reportedly trigger release clause of Atletico defender

Reports in Spain suggest Manchester United have stunned Atletico with their bid

Manchester United have reportedly submitted an offer to Atletico Madrid which meets their release clause for defender Lucas Hernandez. A report by Marca suggests that the La Liga club has been stunned by the Premier League side's offer for the World Cup winner, whose release clause is said to be £70 million. Lucas Hernandez has been a prominent member of the Atletico squad since his debut and played every minute of France's successful World Cup campaign in Russia last summer. He can play either as a left-back (where he featured for France in Russia) or centre-back, with the Old Trafford club's issues at centre-back suggesting that he would play there should a deal ever come to fruition. It is reported that United are willing to double the 22-year-old's wages in a bid to convince him to move to the Premier League. United have been blighted by a number of issues on the pitch this season, but particularly at centre-back, where Mourinho signings Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof have continually looked off the pace, while mainstays Chris Smalling and Phil Jones look no closer to ever realising the potential they once showed. Hernandez' acquisition would represent a major upgrade on all four players, and would also give Mourinho's side the option to play the ball out from the back, something that none of his current centre-halves are capable of doing on a consistent basis.