Top Manchester United target ‘says no’ to Ten Hag as Inter Milan hijack £26m transfer
Benjamin Pavard has decided to reject Manchester United in order to complete a move to Serie A giants Inter Milan, according to reports.
The Red Devils have a number of targets in mind as they look for a new centre-back this summer with the club unsure if Harry Maguire will move on this summer.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Man Utd have made Pavard their “priority option” this summer, while they also have Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo, Bayer Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi on their list.
Romano told GiveMeSport: “So Jean-Clair Todibo remains in the list, but Benjamin Pavard is the priority option. And then there are also Edmond Tapsoba and Marc Guehi as players who are appreciated but, at the moment, not priorities for Manchester United.”
But Man Utd may now have to move on to one of the three alternatives after Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport claimed that Pavard has ‘said no’ to Erik ten Hag’s side in order to complete a move to Inter Milan.
It is understood that the Serie A side have offered €28m plus €5m bonuses for Pavard but Bayern Munich are keen to get a €30m fixed fee for Pavard.
However, the report adds that they could reach an agreement over the fee as early as today despite an offer from Man Utd being the ‘most important of all’.
The Red Devils have made a disappointing start to the new Premier League season, picking up three points from two matches against Wolves and Tottenham.
Man Utd have been second best in both games, despite beating Wolves 1-0, and former midfielder Roy Keane thinks anyone thinking about titles at Old Trafford is “living in cuckoo land”.
“People talk about Fred and McTominay in midfield, they’ve had their chance, we’ve seen them,” Keane told Sky Sports.
“[Donny] van de Beek has come into the club, and there’s nothing wrong with biding your time, but if you think Fred, McTominay and [Nemanja] Matic in midfield will get Man United back to the heights of winning titles, then you’re living in cuckoo land.”
And fellow pundit Gary Neville reckons Man Utd desperately need to sign a new midfielder if they are to have a positive second season under Ten Hag.
“What’s clear is that Manchester United’s midfield needs bolstering,” Neville added. “Ten Hag wants a number six who can play alongside Casemiro and, at the moment, the club can’t get players out to be able to fund that.
“If they look at the first two weeks, they have to fund it or there will be a big problem. What is clear is that Ten Hag doesn’t want to revert back to Scott McTominay.
“With Fernandes on the right, the midfield looks all over the place and the front three doesn’t look capable of functioning as one. Does he go back to McTominay? Ten Hag has made five substitutions and not used him. It’s almost as if he is managing him out of the club.”