With Benjamin Pavard on verge of Manchester United transfer, Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt lauds squad’s current depth

Bayern Munich center-back Matthijs de Ligt can look at his squad’s depth chart and see a load of talent in the central defense.

At the moment (and this all could change depending on how seriously Bayern Munich and Manchester United get about a deal for Benjamin Pavard), De Ligt, Pavard, Dayot Upamecano, and Kim Min-jae make up an extremely talented quartet for Thomas Tuchel.

“With (Min-jae), Dayot, Benji and I, we now have four very good center-backs. And we need options if we want to be successful in three competitions,” De Ligt told Sport1’s Kerry Hau (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “Last season, for example, Dayot and I played almost every game in the second half of the season because of Lucas Hernández’s injury, which wasn’t easy because we played every 3-4 days and as a defender you always want and have to push yourself physically.

“So it’s good for us and good for the coach that we have several options. Min-jae will do us good. He is a defender who brings a lot of intensity, but also focus and calm.”

Of course, that depth will take a big hit if Pavard leaves the club. De Ligt’s insight, however, is spot-on. The presence of starting-caliber center-backs could allow Thomas Tuchel the flexibility to even use a back three-based system on a regular basis if he desires.

Want more thoughts on the Harry Kane saga? We’ve got just the thing for you with our Weekend Warm-up Podcast! Check it out on Spotify or below for a recap of the latest events, how Kane might fit in Bavaria, and what else Bayern Munich might be up to in this transfer window: