Hasan Salihamidzic will be working on extending the contracts of a few senior players in the next couple of months. Bayern Munich has reportedly found a breakthrough in talks with Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting over a new deal. The next target for Rekordmeister will be contract extensions for Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard.
The talks with Hernandez are likely to be straightforward since he is settled in Bavaria. The same cannot be said about his compatriot. Benjamin Pavard is facing an uncertain future at Die Roten. The German club wants to keep him, but there has been no breakthrough in contract talks with the defender.
Pavard may end up doing a u-turn on his contract renewal based on the recent reports. However, he had publicly expressed the desire to hear about other projects in the summer. He will largely look at top clubs that will allow him to play in the heart of the defense.
The French defender was reportedly looking for a move away from Bavaria last summer, but Julian Nagelsmann convinced him to stay put. While talking to the media on Friday (via iMiaSanMia), Nagelsmann insisted that he enjoys working with Pavard and wants the French defender to stay in Bavaria.
"“I like to work with the players for as long as possible. Benji is getting a lot of game time and was very reliable, even last season when things weren’t going so well. I enjoy working with him, but there are several factors that come together.”"
Pavard has been playing in central defense at Bayern in the past few weeks. Nagelsmann has switched to a back three, which has allowed the French international to play on the right side of the defense. The former Stuttgart defender has done a fine job in this role, so Nagelsmann may give him more opportunities in this position.
If the French defender manages to play regularly in central defense at Die Roten, he may end up signing a new contract. There are significant conditions to be met on the pitch for Benjamin Pavard to change his mind about signing a new deal.
Bayern will expect a definitive answer in the next couple of months to plan for the summer transfer window. The German club will have to reluctantly part ways with Pavard in the summer if he refuses to sign a new deal. His current deal expires in 2024, so Bayern cannot afford to lose another defender on a free transfer.
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Nagelsmann managed to convince Pavard last summer to stay in Bavaria. He would hope for a similar outcome this summer. For now, the French international is gearing up to play as a central defender against Union Berlin on Sunday. Die Roten needs all three points in this game to remain at the top of the points table in the Bundesliga.