Spurs: Benjamin Pavard could be Ange’s own Van Dijk

The World Cup-winning defender seemingly shares notably similarities with the Liverpool leader

Tottenham Hotspur have potentially been offered the chance to sign Bayern Munich defender, Benjamin Pavard, with the Frenchman tipped to be included as part of a deal that would see Harry Kane head in the other direction

How much is Pavard worth?

As per 90min, the Bundesliga side are keen to step their interest in the Spurs talisman by arranging a meeting with chairman Daniel Levy, with Thomas Tuchel’s side having already seen two bids for the 29-year-old knocked back so far this summer.

The piece reveals that the German giants have ‘floated the idea’ of including a member of their first-team squad as part of their next bid to sign the England skipper, with Pavard among those who could be ‘on the table’.

The belief is that the World Cup winner – who has reportedly been valued at €30m (£26m) with just a year left on his current contract – may be ‘attached’ to what would prove to be a club-record offer from Bayern of around £86m.

The report does go on to note that ‘there is little to suggest that this will entice Tottenham’, despite the fact that the north Londoners are yet to sign a new centre-back – amid ongoing talks with Edmond Tapsoba and Micky van de Ven.

How good is Benjamin Pavard?

As the reported noted, Tottenham man not initially be enticed by the idea of signing the 27-year-old, although the versatile ace – who can also feature at right-back – could well emerge as a real leader at N17 if he is to join Ange Postecoglou’s ranks.

Previously described as “underrated” by Tuchel – while also being hailed as “outstanding” by former Bayern president Uli Hoeneß – the £83k-per-week machine could prove to be a wise investment for Levy and co, particularly amid his apparent statistical similarity to Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk, according to Opta’s Player Radars.

That likeness between the pair is illustrated by just how comfortable the two men are when playing out from the back, with Pavard ranking among the very best in Europe for touches made as a sign of his willingness to get on the ball, while Van Dijk ranks in the top 2% in that regard.

In a defensive sense, the duo are both able to offer a real physical presence at the heart of the backline and rarely give opposition forwards a moment’s peace, with the Anfield icon ranking in the top 10% for aerial duels won, while Pavard ranks in the top 24% for that same metric.

That ability to sense danger can also be seen in the fact that the former Stuttgart titan ranks in the top 26% with regard to possession won, while Van Dijk is only just behind as he ranks in the top 36%.

To be likened to the influential Dutchman is high praise indeed, with the 32-year-old having been a real driving force for the Merseyside outfit over recent years, with ex-Liverpool man Jamie Carragher stating earlier this year that no centre-back “has ever had” such an “impact” on a team in the Premier League era.

With Pavard only slightly older than Van Dijk was when he joined the Reds from Southampton back in January 2018 – having been 26 at the time – perhaps the Frenchman can have a similar ‘impact’ for Spurs over the coming years.