Chelsea target Benjamin Pavard appears unhappy at Bayern Munich amid Graham Potter's mission to sign a backup to Reece James. The Blues are said to be in the market for a right-back ahead of the January transfer window amid the 22-year-old defender's absence.
Earlier this month, James suffered a knee injury in Chelsea's 2-0 win over AC Milan and is set to be out for eight weeks. The west Londoners have been without one of their key players in the final fixtures leading up to the World Cup.
After failing to sign deputy to James in the summer, Todd Boehly has been left to rue the decision with just Cesar Azpilicueta, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Raheem Sterling as Chelsea's only viable senior options to cover the right wing-back position. Pavard was heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge in the summer, so his current situation at the Bundesliga champions could play into the Blues' hands.
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The 26-year-old defender, who sees his deal at the Allianz Arena expire in 2024, was the first player to leave the ground on Saturday afternoon following Bayern's 6-2 win over FSV Mainz. He came on at half-time to replace Matthijs de Ligt, and had a 'frustrating performance' before picking up a yellow card with just minutes to spare.
Pavard seemingly vented his frustrations in training the following day as he was - again - the first player to leave. It's said that the France international 'didn't make eye contact' with any of the coaching staff as he beelined for the dressing rooms.
He's featured 17 times for Bayern this season, contributing towards nine clean sheets. With the World Cup just around the corner, he'll have been looking to hold down his role as Didier Deschamps' go-to right-back.
But, after three starts from a possible seven across all competitions, a place in the Les Bleu starting XI could hang in the balance. According to French outlet L’Équipe in July, Chelsea and Manchester United were both eager to sign the Frenchman.
Speaking to RMC Sport in May, Pavard revealed his stance on his future. He said: "I don't ask myself where I will end my career. It depends on my body.
"I'm 26 years old. I hope I will keep playing for a long time. I like the Bundesliga. We don't know what the future holds for me. I didn't win the title in France, I have to win in France. If the opportunity arises one day and I can win in France, why not. I'm open to everything."
Pavard then claimed that he's very happy at Bayern and wouldn't ever consider a move to Borussia Dortmund. He said: "I still have two years of contract, I still hope to win many titles.
"I'm very happy at FC Bayern. If I were to move one day, it certainly won't be to Dortmund, even though I respect their fantastic fans. I'm good in Munich. I know Germany very well, I played in Stuttgart, which was a big family with amazing fans. I was a kid and became a man there, thanks to them."
Pavard, who is valued at around £25.7million by CIES Football Observatory, is believed to be one of several right-backs on Chelsea's radar. Inter Milan star Denzel Dumfries has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge lately after a move for the Dutchman collapsed in the summer.
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