Benjamin Pavard's preferred transfer destination revealed by Thomas Tuchel
- Man Utd have chased Pavard as they sought to sell Harry Maguire
- Inter are now leading the race to sign Pavard
- West Ham could revive their pursuit of Maguire
By Tom Gott
Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that defender Benjamin Pavard is looking to join Inter before the summer transfer window closes.
Pavard has entered the final year of his contract in Munich and has already made it clear that he is not prepared to consider an extension, forcing Bayern to listen to offers for his services.
Manchester United voiced an early interest in Pavard and hoped to sign the Frenchman as a potential replacement for Harry Maguire, but the Englishman's proposed £30m move to West Ham United collapsed and the Red Devils had to cool interest after failing to free up the space on the wage bill.
That hesitance has allowed Inter to swoop in and agree a fee of €33m (£28.3m) and Tuchel has now confirmed publicly that Pavard wants to make the move to Italy.
"We understand that Benji wants to go to Inter," Tuchel told a press conference.
"But if we're going to complete that transfer, there isn't just one factor to consider. We have to find a replacement, otherwise it won't happen."
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With Bayern yet to approve the move, Pavard's future remains unclear and there could be one final twist in the story as West Ham have not ruled out reviving their pursuit of Maguire.
A £30m fee has already been agreed between United and West Ham over Maguire but the centre-back's inability to agree a severance package ultimately saw the move collapse earlier this month.
Should West Ham reignite their move, United could look back at Pavard if his proposed switch to Inter remains unconfirmed.
To further add to this transfer merry-go-round, Bayern are looking at West Ham's Thilo Kehrer as a potential replacement for Pavard.
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