With only a few weeks remaining to sign new players, Manchester United is still actively pursuing them in the transfer market. A recent update on a potential target has just surfaced from a dependable source.

Who is it that Man United is seeking to sign?
Fabrizio Romano, an Italian journalist and insider in the transfer market, claims that Man United have “contacted” Bayern Munich about their interest in signing one of their players.

Romano disclosed this past weekend on Twitter:

“Understand In regards to the Benjamin Pavard transaction, Manchester United has approached Bayern.

There is still no approval from Bayern. The clear objective of Pavard, though, is that he wants to move on and begin a new chapter.

“Pavard won’t sign a new deal at Bayern and his current one expires in June 2024.”

On Sunday morning, the journalist then revealed what came after his tweet:

Benjamin Pavard’s initial contact from United was turned down by Bayern…However, Man United are still there because Benji Pavard wants to leave. He refuses to renew his contract with Bayern and is set on leaving.

Benjamin Pavard’s talent level?
With the future of £80 million Harry Maguire in doubt, it may become necessary to add depth in the remaining weeks of the window. Erik ten Hag is obviously still eager to strengthen his defensive presence after securing a deal for new custodian Andre Onana.

West Ham United wants to sign the former Red Devils captain this summer and has already reached an agreement on a £30 million transfer fee. However, the Hammers are still trying to persuade Maguire to come to East London.

As a result, signing Pavard, who is reportedly valued at £30 million, would be a wise move for Ten Hag because the Bayern defender has the skills to give Man United’s backline strong competition and rotation, and he also fits the bill to be the next Jurrien Timber for the Dutch coach.

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The gifted Frenchman is among the best ball-playing defenders in the top five European leagues, according to FBref, ranking in the top 8% of his positional peers for non-penalty goals, total shots, shot-creating actions, progressive passes, progressive carries, touches, and tackles per 90 minutes played.

When comparing Pavard’s output to Timber’s last season, the Bundesliga juggernaut was nearly as effective as Ten Hag’s former Ajax talisman in a number of crucial areas, including pass completion (88.3% v. 91.6%), shot-creating actions per 90 (1.67 v. 1.72), percentage of dribblers tackled (75% v. 74.1%), and percentage of aerial duels won (66% v. 47.4%).

They both have the luxury of variety, which makes them both stand out in addition to their other attributes. In actuality, Timber was and now is a player that possesses the tools to occupy the same positions on the field, in contrast to Pavard, who can play at both right-back and center-back.

Thomas Tuchel, the manager of Bayern Munich, has waxed poetic in the past about Pavard’s defensive prowess and renown adaptability, noting that the France international is capable of altering his placement to a variety of situations on the pitch:

He is an undervalued athlete. He can adjust to any situation and he is a fierce defender. He is a top team player, and he won my confidence right away by demonstrating that I was correct.

A World Cup with France, four Bundesliga titles, one Champions League trophy, and two German Super Cups have all been won by the 27-year-old, who also has a strong winning mentality that would be a huge asset to Man United in their quest to recapture their previous dominance and trophy success.

Given that Timber matches Ten Hag’s ideal defender profile and would be a fantastic fit for the team’s style of play at Old Trafford, it would make sense for Man United to sign him this summer. Who wants Timber 2.0?