The agent of Chelsea target Benjamin Pavard is ‘very, very close’ to the capital club, according to journalist Christian Falk.
Pavard has been tipped to depart Bayern Munich this summer following the arrivals of Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui with Stamford Bridge touted as a potential destination.
What is the latest news involving Pavard?
Falk himself revealed that the France international would ‘be willing’ to join Chelsea if they make a serious offer for his services over the coming weeks.
It’s claimed that Bayern are set to demand around £30 million for Pavard, who is capable of playing either at centre-back or at right-back.
The versatile defender could prove to be a valuable addition to Chelsea’s ranks following the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen while Cesar Azpilicueta’s future continues to be shrouded in doubt.
Thomas Tuchel has already added Kalidou Koulibaly to his backline but has also seen fellow targets Jules Kounde and De Ligt reject his advances for Barcelona and Bayern, respectively.
In what could turn into a defensive merry-go-round, De Ligt’s arrival at the Allianz Arena may open the door for Pavard to join Chelsea, allowing each side to bolster their options at the back.
What has Falk said about Pavard?
Pavard is represented by super-agent Pini Zahavi, who Falk claims is ‘always connected’ to Bayern and shares a tight relationship with Chelsea.
In an interview with GiveMeSport, he said: “So, his management is looking for some clubs, there are talks, I know.
“Pini Zahavi is a very important agent that is always connected with Bayern Munich in any way with David Alaba, Robert Lewandowski, and he's very, very close to Chelsea.”
Would Pavard be a good signing?
Pavard played a pivotal part in France’s 2018 World Cup victory and sealed a move to Bayern 12 months later following another standout season for Stuttgart.
Since then, the 6 foot 1 ace has racked up 17 goal contributions in 120 appearances for the Bavarian giants, claiming three Bundesliga titles, one Champions League and one DFB-Pokal along the way.
As per FBref, Pavard ranked in the 97th percentile for progressive passes, 93rd for aerial duels won and 87th for progressive carries amongst his positional peers over the last year.
He could be an ideal candidate to slot into Tuchel’s possession-orientated setup at Chelsea, easing the transition to life after Rudiger and co.