In a recent report, Sport revealed that Chelsea are locked in a three-way battle for Bayern Munich star Benjamin Pavard. It has been claimed that the Blues could face competition in the form of Real Madrid, Barcelona and AC Milan in pursuit of the French full-back.
Pavard’s Impressive Numbers At The Allianz Arena This Season
Pavard is having another impressive campaign with the Bavarian giants as he has produced some influential displays on the right side of their defence. The 26-year-old has banged in four goals in 21 appearances for the Munich outfit this season across various competitions.
The 46-time France international has given a good account of himself by averaging 2.5 tackles, 1.5 interceptions, 2.2 clearances, 1.1 shots and 0.9 key passes per 90 minutes in Bundesliga. He has even been exceptional when distributing possession from the back after he completed 89.1% of his attempted passes in the German top-flight (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the Allianz Arena will expire in the summer of 2024. Thus, the Blues could potentially land him for a cut-price fee at the end of this campaign.
Is Pavard A Dream Option For Chelsea Head Coach Graham Potter?
Pavard is a good tackler of the ball and can make some important interceptions for his team on the defensive third of the field. He usually clears the danger when needed and can shoot the ball with venom and precision from long range. The Frenchman has also got the eye to play a decisive pass in and around the opponent’s penalty box. Pavard can retain possession with conviction in the opposition half and can even make some clever runs with the ball when he is playing at the top of his game.
The Maubeuge-born talent is primarily a right-back but can also operate as a left-back or fill in as a central defender if required. We can expect Pavard to enhance the quality of Graham Potter‘s first XI considerably and offer some healthy competition for Reece James in the race to secure a regular starting spot at Stamford Bridge in the coming seasons.
Pavard could even serve as an ideal replacement for Cesar Azpilicueta who is entering the last stage of his playing career at the West London club. At 26, the French sensation is about to enter his prime and could give his best years to Chelsea if Potter can find a way to get him on board this January or next summer.
