Manchester United
Premier League • England
Man Utd hold ‘concrete talks’ with versatile star as Ten Hag plots Bundesliga swoop
Manchester United have held ‘concrete talks’ with a versatile Bundesliga star as Erik ten Hag looks to add to his squad ahead of the new season.
With the additions of Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund, Man Utd have had a noteworthy transfer window so far.
They haven’t finished yet either as Ten Hag is still keen to add another defender and holding midfielder to his squad.
West Ham reached an agreement in principle to sign Harry Maguire, which could pave the way for a new defensive signing at Old Trafford.
Man Utd have plenty of defenders on the watchlist and according to Florian Plettenberg, they have held ‘concrete talks’ with Benjamin Pavard.
The Bayern Munich defender has seemingly been keen on a move all summer, with his deal in Germany set to expire in 2024.
Plettenberg has reported that ‘all parties involved’ are working on a verbal deal and Ten Hag is ‘pushing’ for this deal as he wants to add a versatile defender to his ranks.
Picking up Pavard would be a savvy signing for Man Utd as he can fill in at centre-half and also cover for Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot at right back.
With his contract set to expire next summer, he should also be a cost-effective signing for Man Utd at this stage.
Earlier in the summer, Liverpool were linked with the Bayern Munich star, but their interest has cooled of late.
Man Utd have other targets
If Man Utd don’t manage to land a deal for Pavard, they do have some other targets in mind. They are also said to be considering moves for Jean-Clair Todibo and Edmond Tapsoba.
Todibo and Tapsoba would both be younger alternatives to Pavard and would perhaps be better suited to a long-term project.
However, the pair wouldn’t come cheap. Unlike Pavard whose deal expires in 2024, both Todibo and Tapsoba are tied down to long-term contracts at their clubs.
Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Todibo could cost as much as £45m as he is under contract with Nice until 2027.
“Jean-Clair Todibo could leave Nice before the transfer window shuts but it all depends on the value of the bid, as the French club want important money; something around €40/45m, which is similar to what Chelsea paid for Axel Disasi,” Romano told Caught Offside.
“Manchester United are well informed on Todibo and he’s on their list, but it depends on Maguire’s exit.”
Ten Hag certainly isn’t short of options to replace Maguire with, but it could come down to how much Man Utd are willing to spend on his replacement.
As Man Utd are also looking to sign a holding midfielder this summer, they could go for the cheaper option in defence and prioritise the signing of Pavard.