Back in January, TF1 in France reported that Arsenal, in need of defenders with Laurent Koscielny on the wrong side of 30 and Per Mertesacker retiring at the end of the season, were interested in Stuttgart’s Benjamin Pavard.
The 21-year-old, who moved to the then 2.Bundesliga side from Lille, has taken Germany by storm with his mature performances, even earning himself two France caps during the last international break.
Capable of playing as a centre-back, but also down the right, Pavard ticks all the boxes Wenger would want in a defender, and is likely to be a wanted man over the summer, especially if he goes to Russia and impresses.
Staying ahead of the curve, Stuttgart have now slapped an asking price on the young Frenchman, and it’s going to be expensive.
Speaking to BILD, the club’s director of football Michael Reschke said: “If this summer, a club thinks it can buy him for €30m, that club would be wrong. We wouldn’t even open the door to negotiations.”
Reschke explained the defender was ‘at the heart’ of their team and wanted him to be wearing their shirt next season.
We’ve seen how much a young and talented centre-back can go for in today’s market (Aymeric Laporte, for example), so it isn’t surprising to see clubs asking for a lot of money, especially if they know a club like Arsenal are after their starlet.
The Gunners have the money, but it’s now all down to whether or not they allow Arsène Wenger to spend it (if he’s still there) in the summer.
