Benjamin Pavard has returned to Inter determined to earn a second chance, with Cristian Chivu leaving the door open to keeping the France defender for the new season.

According to Corriere dello Sport, via TuttoMercatoWeb, Pavard is back at the club after a loan spell at Marseille and has thrown himself into pre-season with a changed attitude, intent on putting a difficult recent period behind him.

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His future remains unresolved, but the summer training camp offers an important opportunity to prove he can still be useful to Inter’s plans. The former Bayern Munich man wants any chance of staying to rest purely on his performances.

BOLOGNA, ITALY – MAY 23: Cristian Chivu head coach of FC Internazionale during the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and FC Internazionale at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on May 23, 2026 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Chivu keeps door open as Pavard future to be decided after camp

From the coach’s side, there are no closed doors. Chivu is said to have appreciated the defender’s approach from the earliest days of work, with Pavard determined to put himself fully at the team’s service.

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A year ago, all parties had judged a separation to be the best solution, but the picture has shifted, and a final verdict will come in the weeks ahead, once the squad is at full strength with the returning World Cup contingent.

Chivu’s man-management could prove decisive in that process. The coach has already shown his qualities as a mediator, having helped repair the relationship between Hakan Calhanoglu and Lautaro Martinez in the past.

Now it falls to Pavard to convince everyone, on and off the pitch, that his return can become a fresh opportunity rather than a loose end, a notable turn for a player who had figured among Inter’s possible defensive departures this summer.