Manchester United look to be in contention to seal the transfer of Bayern Munich right-back Benjamin Pavard this summer and Jonathan Johnson expects the France international would find it hard to turn down the chance to move to the Premier League.
Pavard and Bayern seem highly likely to part ways, and Barcelona have also been linked with him in the past, even if Man Utd also look a concrete option for him, according to Johnson in his exclusive CaughtOffside column.
The Red Devils could do with strengthening in defence, but Johnson also warned that there have been some question-marks over Pavard’s character, which could make him a bit of a gamble, even if that’s one that Erik ten Hag seems to be willing to take.
“Benjamin Pavard has been linked with a move away from Bayern Munich for quite some time now and clearly he will change clubs at some point in the near future. The France international has been wanted by Barcelona in the past but is unlikely to turn down the opportunity to move to the Premier League,” Johnson said.
“In Manchester, he could reunite with former France teammate Raphael Varane while his versatility would be a welcome addition for Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford. I would not be surprised if a move does happen given that both Bayern and Pavard seem to recognise that they will separate in the future.
“However, Pavard has proven difficult to manage for both Bayern and France, so Ten Hag has been warned about his tricky character. It could be a bit of a gamble, but it seems to be one that United have deemed worth taking.”
United have had a decent transfer window with deals for Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund, but there’s also surely room to sell players like Harry Maguire and Eric Bailly and bring in an upgrade like Pavard.