For the first time in perhaps six years, Real Madrid and Barcelona are set to compete for the same signing.
The last case was Andre Gomes, whom Barcelona paid over the odds for from Valencia, although Los Blancos may well feel they got the better of their rivals anyway.
Now, with both sides seeking a right-back, SkyDeutschland (via Sport) say that the El Clasico duo are already negotiating with Bayern Munich for Benjamin Pavard. The French defender is set to leave Bayern in the summer, with just a year left on his deal, having fallen out with Julian Nagelsmann.
While Pavard is supposedly keen to move to centre-back, both sides will press ahead and hope he accepts his role. It is not yet clear how much Bayern will demand.
Real Madrid are unconvinced by the consistent fitness issues plaguing Dani Carvajal and want a more reliable option there. Meanwhile Barcelona do not have a top level right-back in their squad, instead relying on Sergi Roberto, Hector Bellerin and at times Jules Kounde to the job.
A priori, Barcelona’s struggles with the salary limit would make Los Blancos the favourites in this race. Florentino Perez will be able to loosen the purse strings more than Barcelona. So far the Blaugrana have often relied on the draw of playing for them as part of their negotiation tactics, yet with Real Madrid on a level footing from that perspective, Joan Laporta’s hand is weakened.
