Football
8y

Bayer Leverkusen's Javier Hernandez dismisses Bayern Munich rumours

Bayer Leverkusen forward Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez dismissed links to Bayern Munich and stressed that his meeting last month with Carlo Ancelotti in Canada was just a greeting.

The Mexico international joined Leverkusen on a three-year contract last summer after spending a season on loan from Manchester United to Real Madrid and under Ancelotti. Since joining he has gone on to score 17 Bundesliga goals in 26 matches, playing regularly after spending most of his seasons under Louis van Gaal and then Ancelotti relegated to the bench.

Asked by France Football whether he feels he would need to transfer from Leverkusen to a bigger Bundesliga club such as Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund in order to opt for more titles, Hernandez stressed that he is happy where he is and that even big clubs are not guaranteed championships.

"I saw him [Ancelotti] while I was in Vancouver with the national team to face Canada, yes. But we simply greeted each other and he spoke a bit with my wife. The rest are just rumours," Hernandez said. "I have always chosen competitive clubs at which there existed the possibility of winning championships. With Manchester United over four years, they won the Premier League title during two of those years, but the other two seasons they won nothing.

"While I was at Madrid, we won nothing. Being on the best team doesn't guarantee you any titles. Even Barcelona are susceptible to having seasons in blank. Sometimes clubs surprise us, such as Leicester this year. They are on the verge of making history. They are a good example."

The 27-year-old insisted that he was happy at Leverkusen but added that players never know what the future holds. He said that getting his club to Champions League qualification was a huge priority.

Leverkusen came from two goals down to beat Schalke 3-2 and strengthen their grip on a place in the Champions League next season. They are in third place in the Bundesliga table with 54 points and are five points clear of Hertha Berlin, whom they face on Saturday.

"The Champions League [qualifying] is the goal, without a doubt," Hernandez said. "We truly hope to hold onto third place. But I don't know what will happen this summer."

Hernandez recently announced his decision to skip a chance to help Mexico defend their gold medal at the Olympics this summer. He will instead play for El Tri at Copa America and stressed that the decision was made in conjunction with officials from club and country. Should Leverkusen fall to fourth in the Bundesliga table, it would force them into the playoff round, which begins Aug. 16 while the tournament in Brazil is still ongoing.

Asked whether he would ever consider playing at Paris Saint-Germain, Hernandez was diplomatic.

"They are one of the best clubs in the world. Each year they compete in the Champions League, they win their league title and their cups. They are a very big club and they have three precise goals and one dream, the win the C1 [Champions League]. I think they get closer each year." 

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