Liverpool, Man Utd unlikely to sign World Cup winner as Klopp, Ten Hag see him as ‘a bit of a risk’

Joe Williams
Man Utd target Benjamin Pavard

Liverpool and Man Utd are likely to decide against signing Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard due to him being “a bit of a risk”, according to French Football expert Jonathan Johnson.

Pavard, who won the World Cup with France in 2018, could be on his way out of the Allianz Arena this summer with German newspaper Bild claiming the 27-year-old has asked to leave.

The former Stuttgart defender has been at Bayern for four seasons now, helping them to a Champions League title in 2019/20, and the Bundesliga giants will look to sell him as they fear losing him on a free next summer.

Liverpool and Man United have been heavily linked to Pavard ahead of the summer transfer window but Johnson reckons the Frenchman will end up outside the Premier League.

Johnson wrote in his Caught Offside column: “There have been question marks over Benjamin Pavard’s mentality for some time. When you look at what happened with the World Cup, he started as a member of Didier Deschamps’ squad and then pretty much sank without trace after that – and that was linked to some attitude issues.

“It’s also something that we’ve heard a bit about from his time at Bayern Munich as well this kind of a feeling that he’s outgrown his surroundings, though I wouldn’t necessarily agree with that. He’s been considered quite a high profile name since that stunning goal scored at the 2018 World Cup and sometimes he’s found it a bit difficult to live up to that.

“There’ve been persistent rumours linking him with Barcelona if he does move away from Bayern Munich. I think a move is likely to happen at this stage with a new contract uncertain and Bayern also set to have a significant facelift after only winning the Bundesliga title on the final day.

“All signs point towards Barcelona, but I don’t see there being a natural opening for him at Camp Nou, certainly not as a priority arrival. It could be that he has to consider other options, but at this moment in time it does seem unlikely that he stays at Bayern.

“When interested clubs look at him beyond what he brings on the pitch and his his technical profile, they’ll look at his mentality and some clubs will be put off. Liverpool and Manchester United… I do think that the likes of Klopp and Ten Hag will probably see Pavard as a bit of a risk.

“He does have the ability to play for a top European club but it seems like the player himself already has an idea of what the next move should be in his career and I’m not sure that I necessarily see that being in the Premier League.”

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