Man Utd target ‘would love to join’ as Ten Hag faces three-player dilemma over Maguire replacement

Fabrizio Romano says Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard would “love to join” Manchester United in the summer transfer window.

Pavard is expected to leave the Bundesliga club this summer after making it clear he will not extend his contract beyond 2024 and has been linked with an exit for several months.

Manchester United, Manchester City and Juventus have all been linked with the French international – who scored the goal of the tournament at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Sky Sports Germany correspondent Florian Plettenberg has always emphasised Pavard’s desire to leave Munich this summer, especially with Thomas Tuchel looking at City right-back Kyle Walker.

Although Walker is reportedly close to signing a new contract at the Etihad, Pavard is still likely to depart and Plettenberg insists United are the current frontrunners with Harry Maguire West Ham-bound.

Providing another update on Wednesday evening, Plettenberg said the Red Devils are ‘the favourites in the poker for Pavard’.

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The German transfer expert says Bayern are looking to receive €30million (£25.9million) for the 27-year-old with ‘concrete talks ongoing and positive’.

In a couple of boosts to United, Pavard ‘can really imagine’ playing for them and Bayern view his prospective departure as ‘a massive loss’.

Erik ten Hag ‘wants him’ but Fabrizio Romano claims it is a toss-up between Pavard and Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo, with Bayer Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba viewed as a back-up option.

Romano reported on Wednesday that United are looking at all three options with Maguire headed for the exit door and on Thursday morning, he said Pavard is ‘keen’ to make the move to Old Trafford.

The Italian journalist says Pavard would ‘love to join the club’ to take on a ‘Premier League experience’.

Ten Hag is yet to decide his ‘favourite option’ between Pavard and Todibo, Romano adds.

The former can comfortably operate as a right-back and centre-back, which obviously makes him a very desirable player.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot have been competing for the starting spot on the right side of Ten Hag’s defence and that position would likely be Pavard’s best route into the United starting XI should he move to the Premier League.

Dalot and Wan-Bissaka have both come on leaps and bounds over the last year or so, but it has to be said the right-back position is definitely somewhere Ten Hag can look to upgrade.

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