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Barcelona: Top 5 potential successors to the ageing Gerard Piqué

By Chiranjib Ghosh

LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY - APRIL 28: Panagiotis Retsos of Leverkusen controls the ball during the Bundesliga match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart at BayArena on April 28, 2018 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY - APRIL 28: Panagiotis Retsos of Leverkusen controls the ball during the Bundesliga match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart at BayArena on April 28, 2018 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) /
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STUTTGART, GERMANY – SEPTEMBER 21: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been digitally enhanced.) Benjamin Pavard of Stuttgart is seen during the Bundesliga match between VfB Stuttgart and Fortuna Duesseldorf at Mercedes-Benz Arena on September 21, 2018 in Stuttgart, Germany. (Photo by Lukas Schulze/Bundesliga/DFL via Getty Images )
STUTTGART, GERMANY – SEPTEMBER 21: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been digitally enhanced.) Benjamin Pavard of Stuttgart is seen during the Bundesliga match between VfB Stuttgart and Fortuna Duesseldorf at Mercedes-Benz Arena on September 21, 2018 in Stuttgart, Germany. (Photo by Lukas Schulze/Bundesliga/DFL via Getty Images ) /

3. Benjamin Pavard

22-year old French centre-back Benjamin Pavard is among the most in-demand players on the market. Despite offers from Premier League clubs like Arsenal in the summer, the World Cup-winner decided to stay with Stuttgart.

Pavard first came into the spotlight after playing a crucial part in France’s first World Cup win in 2 decades. His volley against Argentina in the round of 16 was elected as the goal of the tournament, as he played every single game apart from the group-stage tie against Denmark.

Benjamin Pavard has made 62 appearances in all competitions for Stuttgart since joining from Lille in 2016. The youngster has played in centre-back, and also on the right, where he featured for his national team in Russia.

Pavard is versatile, and thus, is a squad player. He is particularly adept at blocking shots and crosses, and is a good tackler of the ball. He is also very good in the air, and is useful in defending corners. Pavard can also take shots from outside the box, and is a highly technical player.

Éric Abidal will find it particularly hard to sign Pavard, especially considering the competition. He is committed to doing well in Germany, and has a first-team spot at Stuttgart. But he can also greater things at the Camp Nou. Barcelona will also have to pay a huge fee.

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