Manchester United are believed to be interested in signing Bayern Munich right-back Benjamin Pavard during the summer transfer window, according to a fresh update.
Is Pavard on the move this summer?
The 27-year-old is currently plying his trade at Bayern, where he has proved to be a solid performer, recently being hailed as an "underrated" player by Thomas Tuchel. He has made 24 Bundesliga appearances so far this season, not to mention seven in the Champions League, where he is preparing to come up against Manchester City in the quarter-final first leg on Tuesday night.
It could be that Pavard moves on at the end of the season, however, with his current deal expiring in 2024, meaning this is the last change for Bayern to earn good money for his services. The Frenchman has been linked with a move to United in the recent past, with the Red Devils seeing him as someone who could potentially act as an upgrade on both Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
It is a rumour that is refusing to go away, with a new claim once again suggesting that the defender could be off to Old Trafford in the coming months.
Could defender head to United?
According to Football Insider, United "could turn their attention towards signing" Pavard in the summer window, with Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong also a "top target". In fact, Bayern's own interest in the latter could ultimately aid the Reds' chances of signing the former, allowing him to be a natural replacement at the Allianz Arena, in what is described as a "domino effect".
Pavard could be a really shrewd summer signing by United, coming in as a safe pair of hands at right-back – someone with a wealth of experience who is renowned for their defensive expertise. This season, he has averaged 2.4 tackles per game in the Bundesliga, as well as 2.3 clearances per match in the Champions League.
He is a player who has a winning mentality after tasting World Cup glory with France back in 2018 – he also scored a memorable goal against Argentina that year, slicing a stunning finish into the top corner – and he has won three league titles with Bayern for good measure.
Granted, he may not be the most attack-minded full-back around – he only has one assist this season – but he could give United's defence a nice balance, with Luke Shaw being given more attacking freedom on the opposite flank.