Defender Benjamin Pavard convinced Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel to let him join Inter Milan in face-to-face talks.
This according to today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews, who reveal some backstory on the Frenchman’s summer move to the Nerazzurri.
Pavard joined Inter during the summer transfer window.
It was a high-profile move that saw the Nerazzurri spend big to bring in the 2018 World Cup winner as their long-term replacement for Milan Skriniar.
It was always clear that Pavard wanted to leave Bayern. In fact, he had also expressed the desire to go in previous transfer windows.
And Inter always seemed like an ideal destination for the 27-year-old.
Pavard’s issue at Bayern had always primarily been tactical. The Frenchman sees himself primarily as a defender, whilst at Bayern he was often deployed as more of an attack-minded fullback.
Pavard Convinced Bayern Coach Tuchel To Let Him Join Inter Face-To-Face
The fact that Pavard’s contract with Bayern had been set to run out at the end of next June was always a factor that played in favour of a summer departure for the defender.
This summer transfer window was the Bavarians’ final opportunity to cash in.
Nevertheless, Bayern were still not eager to sell Pavard.
The biggest opponent to selling the former Stuttgart was coach Tuchel.
The former Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea coach didn’t want to sell Pavard without signing a replacement.
Bayern in fact didn’t end up signing a like-for-like replacement in the end. They did not consider any of the options to be suitable.
But Pavard was the one to convince Tuchel to sanction the transfer.
There was a face-to-face meeting between the two, the Gazzetta report. Pavard personally asked the Bayern coach for the move.
The Frenchman made clear just how much he wanted to leave. Tuchel reluctantly accepted the player’s desire, noting that he would be unhappy and preoccupied anyway if he’d stayed.
Therefore, Pavard got his move to Inter in the end.
