Report: Chelsea FC may target Bayern Munich's Benjamin Pavard for transfer

Per new information from Sport Bild, Chelsea FC is still weighing the option of bringing in Benjamin Pavard during the summer transfer window if he does not wind up renewing his contract at Bayern Munich.

Pavard’s current contract runs through June 2024, but he has enjoyed a bright start to the season, making it difficult to believe he would seriously consider leaving Bayern, and if the club would even entertain that notion.

Pavard was also on Chelsea’s shopping list this summer, as Thomas Tuchel was looking to bring in defensive reinforcements. Chelsea ultimately wound up bringing in Kalidou Koulibably from SSC Napoli and Marc Cucurella from Brighton shortly before the transfer window closed.

At the time. Tuchel was also very keen on bringing in Jules Kounde from Sevilla, but he ultimately wound up transferring to FC Barcelona. New Chelsea owner Todd Boehly was able to provide Tuchel with a considerable influx of cash to spend, and they got a Wesley Fofana deal over the line just before deadline day as well, as the defender had made it very clear he wanted to leave Leicester City.

Despite bringing in defensive reinforcements last summer, Pavard is still a name that’s on Chelsea’s list. New manager Graham Potter has enjoyed an undefeated start to his tenure at Stamford Bridge, but will still have his own ideas and squad planning strategies to implement in the coming window. Pavard is player that was originally touted by Tuchel, but Potter would still like to have.

From the Bayern perspective, they brought in defensive reinforcements of their own with Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt. Pavard most often is deployed as a right-back, which is Mazroui’s position, but he can also play as a center-back. Despite being the preferred starting right-back by Julian Nagelsmann, he could feel less job security with the presence of both Mazraoui and De Ligt now in the squad, which could affect his decision on whether or not he would want to sign a contract extension or leave this summer.

Over the summer Pavard had even questioned himself and revealed that other clubs had shown interest in him, but that Nagelsmann convinced him that he was in his plans for this season. “I questioned myself, I had calls from different clubs with my agent. Afterward, I had the Bayern coach with whom we spoke and with whom we have a good relationship. He made me understand that I was in his plans, that I was important for the team. Maybe one day I will go to one of these clubs, you never know what the future holds. I’m still a year at Bayern Munich. Afterwards, we have time to project ourselves,” he had told Telefoot (via FootballTransfers). Of course, this was all before he had a solid start to the season and had pretty much solidified himself as Nagelsmann’s preferred starter at right back.

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