Chelsea and Manchester United have reportedly been offered an opportunity to sign Bayern Munich and France defender Benjamin Pavard.
According to German publication Sport 1, Benjamin Pavard has been offered to Premier League giants Chelsea and Manchester United as the defender is considering an exit from Bayern Munich.
Pavard joined Bayern Munich from fellow German club VfB Stuttgart in the summer of 2019 in a deal worth around £31 million. The French international has been a regular in the side ever since, doing the job at right-back or centre-back as and where required. To date, he has made 120 appearances for the Bavarian giants, scoring six goals and setting up 11 more.
Pavard, though, is concerned about his game-time in the Bayern Munich squad following the arrival of Matthijs de Ligt this summer. Even though Julian Nagelsmann has used him at right-back, the Frenchman sees himself as a centre-back in the long run. With Dayot Upamecano, Lucas Hernandez and de Light ahead of him in the pecking order, the 26-year-old is open to leaving the club.
To that end, Pavard’s representatives have offered his services to Premier League bigwigs Chelsea and Manchester United. It is no secret that Chelsea are in the market to sign reinforcements for their defensive unit following the exits of Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger. Even though Kalidou Koulibaly has arrived at Stamford Bridge, Thomas Tuchel remains on the lookout for at least one more defender.
Pavard has been on the radars of Chelsea for some time now, even though he is not seen as a top priority at the moment. But with his services being offered to them directly, the Londoners could consider the possibility of signing him more seriously. The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner can be a handy acquisition as he could double up as cover for Reece James at right-back amid Cesar Azpilicueta’s uncertain future.
Manchester United, meanwhile, are also interested in Pavard, although they could be looking at him as a possible option for the right-back department. The Red Devils have already bolstered their centre-back department with Lisandro Martinez’s signing. They also have Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire and Eric Bailly as options for the two centre-half positions.
So, Pavard would most likely be viewed as a reinforcement in the right-back slot as Aaron Wan-Bissaka is likely to be sold while Diogo Dalot has not performed consistently enough. But considering that the 26-year-old wants to play as a centre-back, a move to Old Trafford might not interest him as much.
The report states that Bayern are still undecided about selling Pavard. The German champions are aware that his departure would generate significant funds, but at the same time, Nagelsmann still sees him as a useful asset for the right-back role. There have been no concrete negotiations between the interested clubs and the Bavarians at this point, and it remains to be seen how this story evolves in the coming weeks.
