Manchester United’s bid for Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard was ‘initially blocked’ by the club as they wanted to preserve their self image.
That’s according to SportBILD, who say Bayern supremo Uli Hoeneß blocked the transfer from happening after what happened with Robert Lewandowski.
Hoeneß has returned to the club this summer after the depart of Hasan Salihamidzic as director of football, forming part of a transfer committee at the German champions.
According to SportBILD, he ‘exercises his power more directly’ than others and that was seen in the potential deal for Pavard.
He wants to leave Bayern this summer and has made that clear and both Manchester United and Inter Milan have shown a willingness to sign him for weeks.
However, Bayern ‘initially blocked the offers’ from both club and that was down to Hoeneß, who believed the club had to set an example and block the transfer from happening.
He wanted the German giants to preserve their self image, believing that is had been damaged by Robert Lewandowski forcing his way out and to Barcelona last summer.
Thus Pavard’s exit was initially blocked, something which left the Frenchman ‘very upset’ as he has expected approval to be granted and felt like he was being made to ‘feel like an example’ to others.
He eventually sought out a conversation with the club’s hierarchy but went beyond Hoeneß and instead to CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen.
Whether he now gets his move to Inter Milan or Manchester United remains to be seen but both clubs seeing their initial bids blocked was seemingly for no other reason that Hoeneß wielding his power in an attempt to protect Bayern’s image.
