Liverpool have concrete interest in £34m defender, his club are open to a swap deal – journalist

Add as preferred source on Google

Liverpool are one of the clubs interested in signing Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard this summer.

The Reds are seemingly on the lookout for defensive reinforcements ahead of next season. And according to journalist Florian Plettenberg, this has led them to taking a look at Pavard.

Reporting via Twitter early this morning, Plettenberg laid out the World Cup winner’s current situation.

“News Pavard: Bayern is also willing to sell him (next to [Lucas] Hernandez)! As they know that Pavard definitely wants to leave the club in summer,” wrote the journalist.

“It’s a question of the price now. First ideas about a potential swap deal + fee or €30-40m [£26-34m] + bonus payments. His options confirmed: Real, Barcelona, Liverpool, Man Utd, Man City, Inter.”

Liverpool in the mix for Pavard

In terms of German football and the transfer goings on there, Plettenberg quite often has his finger on the pulse. As a result, this is slightly surprising – but also exciting – news.

Some sections of the fan base likely won’t be impressed. Pavard isn’t exactly a huge name in football, but he’s a big-ish player who hasn’t necessarily set the world alight at Bayern.

It isn’t really Liverpool’s style to go after a star leaving a huge club. If you look at the signings that have really worked at Anfield, they’ve often been from teams much further down the food chain.

Furthermore, Pavard is a little older than the kinds of player Liverpool usually target. At twenty-seven he isn’t exactly old, but likely to be on big wages, some Reds supporters may be concerned.

But not us. No, we think this could actually be a really smart piece of business for Liverpool.

Certainly, if they can get Pavard in for around £30m, then why not? He can play at full-back or centre-back and you’d imagine he’d be suited to filling in for Trent Alexander-Arnold in his new, hybrid role, too.

Liverpool would still need to get business done on a long-term successor to Virgil van Dijk, but as a medium-term squad option, you won’t find better than Pavard. Some may disagree, but we’d like to see this happen. After Plenttenberg’s surprise update, the chances of it doing so may have increased.