Man Utd handed major boost in £22m bargain deal pursuit as West Ham close in on defender

Manchester United’s rather strained search for a central defender has taken another turn after Inter Milan’s chief executive revealed that he was confident that Benjamin Pavard was more interested in a move to the San Siro than he was in a switch to Salford.

Sky Sports News have reported that Beppe Marotta has said that Pavard “has expressed his desire to join us”, which may be bad new for United with Pavard reputedly their top target – at least, as long as they can get rid of Harry Maguire. Apparently a new defender is only on the cards if the former captain can be moved on, an increasingly distant prospect. Inter seem to be striking swiftly while United twiddle their thumbs, and the French World Cup winner may have to be struck off United’s shortlist after all.

The 3AM Verdict: We’ve talked about defensive options for Manchester United before, and the club dragging their heels over finding a new body has definitely weakened their position – original first choice Kim Min-Jae has long since gone to Bayern Munich and United are left with a rapidly shortening list of first-rate alternatives. Pavard is a very decent and exceptionally experienced player who has proven to be a solid asset for one of the best teams in Europe, so the backroom staff at Old Trafford should probably pull their finger out, if it isn’t too late already.

West Ham’s transfer woes to continue?

While we’re on the subject of Harry Maguire, word from Sport Witness that another West Ham United transfer has fallen through – Konstantinos Mavropanos’ switch from VfB Stuttgart could be off after the Greek international and former Arsenal player supposedly failed a medical.

No word on what problem the medical picked up and it’s worth noting that our very own Chris Wheatley is reporting that the deal is in fact still on, and that the player has already done his media duties ahead of an announcement. Not hard to guess who the Hammers hope has got this one right.

The 3AM Verdict: However badly United may need a defender, West Ham’s need is even greater – as is their need for quite a few players, to be honest, as they start the season with one of the smallest senior squads in the league. Not that it stopped them from thumping Chelsea, of course. But with another European campaign to worry about as well as their usual commitments, West Ham’s squad looks way too thin, and missing out on an experienced campaigner would be a definite blow. Hopefully for the Hammers the story is wide of the mark.

Gravenberch departure nears as Bayern prepare to sell

Following reports from yesterday morning that Manchester United had made a contract offer to long-standing Liverpool target Ryan Gravenberch, the Dutchman took a step closer to the exit when Bayern Munich changed their tune – “no longer ruling out the departure”, according to Sky Sports.

The Dutchman reportedly wants first-team football, something he struggled for during a difficult first season in Bavaria, and he now looks likely to get his way after all. HITC also report that Liverpool have held “positive talks” with the midfielder, so having seemingly stalled earlier in the summer, this is a move that could be back on.

The 3AM Verdict: Gravenberch is a huge talent who made what’s turned out to be the wrong choice in joining Bayern – but would he get the regular gametime he wants at Old Trafford or Anfield? This could be a make or break summer for the player, but with both clubs in dire need of some reinforcements in midfield it seems reasonable for both clubs and the player to be willing to take the chance.