Football transfer ticker: Benjamin Pavard probably wants to leave Bayern

Highlights: Former world champion Benjamin Pavard wants to leave FC Bayern Munich. Jörg Schmadtke will be the new sporting director at Liverpool FC. Edwin van der Sar has announced his departure from Dutch champions Ajax. Eintracht Frankfurt sign French midfielder Éric Junior Dina Ebimbe until 2027.. Darmstadt 98 sign Nuremberg's Fabian Nürnberger on a free transfer from second-division side 1. Bundesliga club 1. Fortuna Düsseldorf appoints former Wolfsburg manager Jürgen Klopp as their new manager.

Who's coming, who's going? The most important transfers and rumours: today with the possible departure of Bayern defender Benjamin Pavard, a new job for Jörg Schmadtke and the departure of Edwin van der Sar.

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Is he already waving goodbye here at the championship celebration on the balcony of Munich's town hall? Bayern's Benjamin Pavard wants to leave the club

Photograph:

IMAGO/Karsten Lauer / IMAGO/foto2press

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Pavard allegedly about to jump off

Former world champion Benjamin Pavard will apparently leave FC Bayern Munich. According to consistent media reports on Tuesday, the 27-year-old Frenchman does not want to extend his contract, which runs until 2024. His management is said to have deposited the defender's transfer request with the German football champions. The reason given was that the French international is looking for a challenge in another European league after seven years in the Bundesliga.

Pavard improved after a weak start to the season and was one of Bayern's most consistent players in the mixed second half of the season. However, there had been speculation from time to time about the defender's departure because Pavard had often been used as a right-back in Munich, but sees himself more as a central defender.

Pavard is said to be in talks with clubs in Spain, England and Italy. The 27-year-old joined Bayern in 2019 after three years at VfB Stuttgart.

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Schmadtke goes to Klopp

Jörg Schmadtke will be the new sporting director at Liverpool FC and will work with coach Jürgen Klopp at the traditional English club. This was announced by the football club, which finished the Premier League season in fifth place, on Tuesday morning. As the Europa League participant announced, former Wolfsburg manager Schmadtke will take up his work at Anfield on 1 June, provided that the necessary work permit is obtained.

According to the media, the contract is initially short-term, but could be extended. The 59-year-old Schmadtke, who most recently served as managing director at VfL Wolfsburg for four and a half years, succeeds Julian Ward, who is leaving the club this summer after more than ten years.

The new sporting director has a lot of work to do at Liverpool. Former top performers such as Roberto Firmino and James Milner, as well as ex-Leipzig player Naby Keita, who failed to establish himself at Anfield, are leaving the club.

The former goalkeeper Schmadtke, who played for Fortuna Düsseldorf, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Mönchengladbach, among others, had given up his managerial position in Wolfsburg in January and had already retired. Prior to his time at Niedersachsen, Schmadtke also worked for Alemannia Aachen, Hannover 96 and 1.

Frankfurt binds Ebimbe

Eintracht Frankfurt have signed a long-term contract with French midfielder Éric Junior Dina Ebimbe until 30 June 2027. In the summer of last year, he was loaned out by French serial champions Paris Saint-Germain. Now the Hessians have pulled a purchase option, the Bundesliga club announced on Tuesday.

Ebimbe has become a top performer in Frankfurt and has made 28 competitive appearances so far this season. Most recently, he scored the winning goal against SC Freiburg in a 2-1 win on Saturday.

Darmstadt brings in Nuremberg's Nurembergers

Newly promoted Darmstadt 98 have signed their first new signing for the coming season in the Bundesliga. The Lilies have signed midfielder Fabian Nürnberger on a free transfer from second-division side 1. The 23-year-old midfielder has signed a contract until June 2026.

Born in Hamburg, Nuremberg, he has so far only been under contract for the club in the professional sector. He made a total of 108 competitive appearances for FCN.

Club legend Van der Sar leaves Ajax

After a disappointing season, former managing director Edwin van der Sar has announced his departure from Dutch record champions Ajax Amsterdam. He will give up his post on June 1, the club announced on Tuesday. Van der Sar no longer sees a future for himself at the helm of the club. "After almost eleven years in the management, I'm empty," the former national goalkeeper is quoted as saying in the statement.

Ajax Amsterdam had not won a title in the season that had just ended and had only reached third place in the domestic league. The 52-year-old van der Sar had numerous national and international successes as a goalkeeper with Ajax and therefore scored as a club icon. He was also a goalkeeper for Manchester United and the Dutch national team.

But Van der Sar is partly blamed for the sporting crash. He is blamed by fans for the departure of coach Erik ten Hag a year ago. His successor, Alfred Schreuder, had already been dismissed in January due to worse results.

kjo/sid/dpa