Benatia threatens to leave if Bayern Munich signs Hummels

by Agence France-Presse
Michaela Rehle / Reuters

Berlin - Morocco captain Medhi Benatia has threatened to leave Bayern Munich if the club signs fellow centre-back Mats Hummels from rivals Borussia Dortmund for next season.

Hummels, 27, has told Dortmund he wants to leave with a year left on his contract and Bayern have confirmed they are negotiating to bring the Germany star to Munich.

Related: 5 players Borussia Dortmund should target to replace Mats Hummels

But Benatia, 29, is unimpressed by the prospect of having to battle wih Hummels for one of the centre-back berths at Bayern and has criticised the Bavarian giant.

"Bayern are negotiating with Hummels. If I should go, then I'll go," Benatia told Sky Italia, ahead of Tuesday's home Champions League semi-final, return leg against Atletico Madrid.

"But first of all I want to finish the season well, we can still win the treble.

"I wouldn't do what the club has done, which is to talk about transfers before a Champions League semi-final."

Benatia came off the bench in Bayern's 1-0 defeat to Atletico in the first leg in Madrid last Wednesday and has not earned a spot in Pep Guardiola's first-choice team at Bayern.

His potential future employer could be Roma, who sold him to Bayern in 2014.

"I'd definitely go back. Everyone knows that Rome is a special place for me," he added.

"So many people from there remain in my heart.

"If I should leave Bayern, Roma would be a possibility."

Bayern is set to become the first club to win four consecutive German league titles if the Bavarian side can take at least a point at Ingolstadt on Saturday.

Bayern will also play Dortmund in the German Cup final on May 21 in Berlin.

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