Chelsea monitoring Benjamin Pavard amid Jules Kounde silence but could face Bayern Munich blow

Chelsea have reportedly been monitoring Benjamin Pavard of Bayern Munich according to Sky Germany. The Blues have been fully focused on replacing their former center-back pair Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger. Being linked with Matthijs de Ligt in recent weeks as well as an interesting stop/start pursuit for Jules Kounde, it seems Thomas Tuchel has a plan.

Jules Kounde has been a Chelsea hot target since the last summer transfer window. A matter of fact is that Barcelona have also shared that same interest in the young Frenchman. Unsure as to whether the Blues have completely lost interest in Kounde, there seems to be less urgency to come to an agreement with Sevilla.

In finding the perfect center-back pair to replace what has been lost, Chelsea have somehow lost focus on fullback replacements. With the uncertainty surrounding Cesar Azpilicueta’s future and the lack of cover for Reece James, a right-back should definitely be on the cards too. Luckily Pavard could kill two birds with one stone.

Benjamin Pavard is similar to Azpilicueta in the sense that he can play centre-back and right-back at a high level. His quality does not dip in either position, making him brilliant ahead of the busy World Cup season. The Frenchman’s contract with Bayern Munich runs out in 2024, and the Blues are monitoring his situation.

As he is versatile across the backline, if the Blues had an option, it’ll be a no-brainer to welcome him to west London. It’s all well and good signing star talents like Raheem Sterling and Matthijs de Ligt, but fans witnessed a heavy drop-off once Thomas Tuchel lost his wing-backs. The loss of Reece James was of detriment to Chelsea’s campaign especially, and the loss of Ben Chilwell even more. A