After weeks of much unrest and tested patience surrounding the lack of signings in the market, AC Milan officially announced the acquisition of Strahinja Pavlović on a permanent deal from Austrian club RB Salzburg Wednesday.
Negotiations went on for weeks for the Serbian defender who was initially valued between €25-30 million by Salzburg. As is now known, the reported fee for the transaction is €18 million plus bonuses for Pavlović who will earn roughly €1,8 million per season in net wages for the length of his four-year contract with the Rossoneri until 30 June 2028 which includes an option to extend a further year.
Selecting the number 31 shirt worn in the past by perhaps a similar defender in profile Jaap Stam, supporters have already begun projecting what he will bring to the pitch and the overall the impact he will have for this upcoming season in a defence seeking his physicality.
At the age of 23, Pavlović is considered young in his years, though he has accumulated a wealth of experience thus far with nearly six years of first-team football and over 30 international appearances to his name.
Spending his early days at Partizan playing pressure-packed football, Pavlović featured in his first 'Eternal Derby' against Red Star Belgrade as a 17 year old in March 2019. From there, he quickly established himself as a presence in Partizan's starting setup, aiding in the club's 2018-19 Serbian Cup triumph.
After a failed transfer to Lazio, Pavlović experienced a rather turbulent period in his young career, with stops at Monaco, Cercle Brugge and Basel before Salzburg snapped him up in July 2022 for €7 million.
What may have been considered an overspend at the time due to his lack of continuity and inability to accrue consistent first-team minutes, Salzburg's undeniable eye for identifying and developing talent showed itself with how swiftly Pavlović emerged a figurehead in the Austrian side's backline.
Over two seasons in the Austrian Bundesliga, Pavlović had visibly sharpened his teeth, dug his heels in and demonstrated his maturation into a defensive stopper with 71 appearances to his credit and a league title in 2022-23.
At a very ripe age and period in his career, Pavlović and Milan feel like a proper match when you drill down into his repertoire.
Standing in at 194 cm, he is without question the imposing presence they have needed in the back.
Blending size, strength and the aerial prowess to both mitigate danger and inflict it on both ends, Pavlovic's advanced defensive metrics show he is amongst the best in Europe for U-23 centre-backs.
🔴⚫️🇷🇸 Strahinja Pavlović is the only U23 centre-back in the world to rank in the :
• 90+ percentile for passes completed
• 90+ percentile for aerial duel %
• 80+ percentile for defensive duel %🔍 Free trial : https://t.co/McR5zrPSJm https://t.co/1pbVAsVJ0H pic.twitter.com/RSNNsZ0fBt
— DataMB (@DataMB_) July 31, 2024
Defending corners has been a daunting task for Milan in recent years. There have been countless instances where they have conceded at crucial stages due to lapses, poor man-marking or lack of aggression in aerial battles.
Therefore, his track record should help Milan cut down on goals as well as give opposing strikers a fearless foe and an uncomfortable encounter at every headed attempt.
Characteristically, a defender like Pavlović is a welcomed profile who Coach Paulo Fonseca explained has been missing from the squad.
"He is an aggressive player, who is also left-footed and will bring physicality to our defence," said the Portuguese to Milan Reports moments after the win over Real Madrid last week.
One of the primary goals with bringing in Pavlović is that he can compliment the likes of Fikayo Tomori who likes to push high. Therefore, the Serb's balanced approach to defending supports the Englishman into playing more to the strengths that showed themselves down the stretch in the Scudetto push a few years ago.
Pavlović's mean-streaked moniker and aggressive nature can cast him as a stay-at-home, brutish defender serving as a disruptive guardian in the box, but that would unfairly diminish his ability moving forward which will support in Fonseca's heavy emphasis on possessing high up in the opposing half.
Data supports he is quite capable as a carrier out the back, either to initiate the intermediate passes to extend play forward, or take it upon himself to launch attacks from the back. Either way, Pavlović should be plenty proficient in possession as a left-footed central defender in a back-four who will be asked to pull his weight in the buildup.
Offensively, his three headed goals in 2023/24 suggest Milan will also have a real target to aim for via set pieces after Olivier Giroud departed for Hollywood by joining Major League Soccer's LAFC.
Strong in personality and with a fearless mentality, Pavlović steps in at a crucial period for Milan and their project. He is a defender who checks off a lot of boxes the club has coveted in this department.
Comparisons have been made for Pavlović as a defender in the mould of countryman and former Manchester United legend Nemanja Vidić. Albeit flattering for Milan supporters, ultimately that is an unrealistic standard to set for a defender who has yet to play a single minute in red and black.
There will be some initial onboarding pains and rash decision making in anticipating challenges, but there is an argument to made that Pavlović's edge will provide the right amount of bite to a group in need of it.
Turning up the heat 🔥 @Pavlovic_S3 is here ⚔ #DNACMilan #SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/NmYnFWjtjV
— AC Milan (@acmilan) July 31, 2024
For ease of adaption and growing into an important role with pressure, his past experiences in the UEFA Champions League should aid in his ability to deliver solid performances in high-leverage matches against the likes of Inter who have completely dominated their San Siro rivals for years.
Pavlović walks into Milanello immediately improving a group of talented, yet much-maligned, defenders who, with an improved setup and balance, are capable of re-establishing one of Italy's best backlines.
