Barcelona ‘Offered’ Champions League Finalist to Boost Defense

Barcelona have reportedly been “offered” the chance to sign Champions League finalist Benjamin Pavard, after offloading Iñigo Martínez to Al Nassr.

Hansi Flick’s Barça were on the cusp of their first appearance in the Champions League final in a decade last season, but a late Francesco Acerbi strike set the stage for Inter’s dramatic extra-time win.

Pavard was absent for both legs of the all-time great semifinal against the eventual La Liga champions, but was in Simone Inzaghi’s starting XI for the final in Munich, as Inter were thumped 5–0 by Paris Saint-Germain in the showpiece event.

It’s been a summer of change in Milan, with Inzaghi departing at the end of the campaign and being replaced by former Nerazzurri defender Cristian Chivu. While the new boss is unlikely to oversee a dramatic systematic overhaul, recent reports out of Italy suggest Inter are ready to part ways with Pavard, who joined the club from Bayern Munich in 2023.

The Frenchman has enjoyed a successful two years in Italy, but may soon be looking for a new home. While the likes of Galatasaray, Marseille and clubs in the Saudi Pro League have been linked, SPORT writes that Barcelona could be a late summer option for Pavard, having lost Martínez.

The report states that the player’s agent, Pini Zahavi, recently met with president Joan Laporta, stoking the fire. Zahavi already represents Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski, as well as manager Hansi Flick, whom Pavard previously played under at Bayern.

The Barça boss has hinted that there will be no Martínez replacement signed before the window closes, with the club’s current priority being the registrations of Wojciech Szczęsny, Gerard Martín, Marc Bernal, and Roony Bardhji. They just about registered Joan García and Marcus Rashford in time for their La Liga opener at the weekend.

Barcelona really can’t afford a pricey acquisition like Pavard, and are more inclined to target a left-footed defender late in the window if the opportunity arises.

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