German report suggests Bayern Munich has already agreed to sign Benjamin Pavard

More great news! Tottenham Hotspur’s alleged interest in French utility defender Benjamin Pavard was apparently real, with Mauricio Pochettino very keen on signing him if Spurs were able to offload Toby Alderweireld this summer. However, if this report from German outlet SWR Sport is to be believed, Pavard has already decided to move to Bayern Munich from Stuttgart in 2019, and the only question is when, and for how much.

The (exclusive!) reports says that Pavard had already come to a verbal agreement with Bayern during the World Cup that would see him move to the German champions next summer, when his release clause drops to €35m. That number, and the presence of a release clause, has been reported by Kicker. SWR, however, says that Bayern might be ready to pay more to move up the time table and purchase him outright this summer.

Stuttgart would much rather keep him for another season as their defensive anchor and sell him to Bayern next summer, and their sporting director has said as much. Still, considering that he could cost as much as £50m this summer, it’s really hard to say whether they’d be willing to turn down that extra money for him.

All this is, of course, bad news for Spurs, as any move for Pavard would have to be done with the expectation that Alderweireld is moved on first, and there doesn’t seem to be any movement on that front at the moment.

There are three weeks to go until the close of the transfer window, and Spurs still haven’t added any players for next season. This is pretty typically Tottenham, but it’s starting to make me nervous, especially as Spurs prepare to leave for their American tour next week. Why can’t we have nice things?