Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is eyeing a move to sign Bayern Munich full-back Benjamin Pavard this summer, according to reports.
The Spaniard has reportedly identified the Frenchman as a concrete target in the current transfer window, as he looks to strengthen his right-back options in the coming weeks.
What's the latest on Benjamin Pavard to Manchester City?
Guardiola is keen to strengthen his side's right-back options this summer, and Pavard is a target for the Manchester City manager, according to Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider.
The Bayern Munich man has been linked with a move away from the Bundesliga champions throughout the summer, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that he is top of Manchester City's list of right-back targets if Kyle Walker decides to go the other way in the current transfer window.
As things stand, Pavard's contract is set to expire next summer, potentially making a deal easier to negotiate for Guardiola and co.
As per O'Rourke, too, City are desperately trying to convince Walker to stay put ahead of the forthcoming Premier League campaign, amid interest from the Bundesliga champions.
Meanwhile, there's still questions over the future of the treble winners' other right-back option, Joao Cancelo, who spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich.
Should Manchester City sign Benjamin Pavard?
If Walker or Cancelo leave this summer, then Pavard would be an ideal option for those at The Etihad this season. Boosted by the fact that the Frenchman can play as a centre-back, too, Guardiola would certainly get the best out of the World Cup winner.
Thomas Tuchel was quick to praise the full-back after taking up the managerial role at the Bundesliga club last season, calling him "underrated" and saying, via Lequipe: “He can adapt to the highest level and he defends rigorously. He is a top team player, he immediately had my confidence and proved to me that I had been right.”
Statistically speaking, too, Pavard outperfomed both Cancelo and Walker in some areas last season. According to FBref, the Bayern man made more progressive passes, won more tackles, made more blocks, and made more interceptions per-90 when compared with the Manchester City full-back. The transfer target was also in the 98th percentile of expected assists, as per FBref, so would provide City with even more chance creation.
So, with that said, it certainly seems as though Guardiola would be upgrading his right-back options this summer if he secured the signature of Pavard.
The Premier League giants have already, of course, dipped into the Bundesliga this summer to complete the signing of Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig for a reported £77.6m. And, with time still remaining in the window, they could yet return to Germany's top flight.
Off the back of winning the treble last season, the pressure is on City to perform once more on the biggest stages. Already, they've continued their recent trend of losing the Community Shield, losing for the third consecutive year, and this time against Arsenal.
Guardiola's focus will now turn to his side's opening day clash against Vincent Kompany's newly-promoted Burnley side. It is then that City will hope to hit the ground running, with or without Pavard.
