Strahinja Pavlović
Strahinja Pavlovic has had a surprisingly impressive season at AC Milan. The left-footed defender’s progress is attracting quite a bit of interest from Chelsea.
Last season, the Serbian was heavily criticised for his performances. It was his first campaign at the Rossoneri, who roped him in from RB Salzburgfor €18m (plus€2m bonuses) in 2024.
Under Max Allegri, the centre-back has thrived and he cemented his importance through a thundering strike against Torino at the weekend. He’s scored four goals in Serie A now, playing 26 times in the league, with the back three suiting him very well.
Sport Witness have covered interest from Chelsea this month but today’sCorriere dello Sport goes into more detail.
Blues in contact with entourage
The newspaper offer a lot of praise for the Serbian, placing emphasis on his shooting ability. It is noted that Strahinja Pavlovic has transformed into an additional attacker under Allegri, marauding into the final third constantly from a defensive position.
This ‘new version’ of the defender really appeals to Milan and Chelsea’s interest has grown.
The Blues have already made initial contact with his entourage, as they explore a summer move. It is believed that to execute a deal, the London side would need around€40m, which is double what Milan paid last summer.
This value reflects Pavlovic’s importance to the San Siro side, who have no intention of selling him cheaply in the summer. In fact, they want to build their backline around him from next season onwards.
Our take: Chelsea deal can have pros and cons
The 24-year-old has his strengths but there is no denying his weaknesses too.
Defensively in the past he’s had issues. His shortcomings have still been visible at times this season. Strahinja Pavlovic often suffers from concentration lapses and can sometimes be beaten on 1v1 situations.
In a possession-oriented system at left centre-back, he can offer a lot of value. This season is a big example of that and Chelsea can make more of it too. The Premier League is more focused on controlling play from the back, which is where Pavlovic can thrive.
They should be warned that the ex-Salzburg man can be frustrating at times, even if €40m presents a fair deal.
🇵🇹 EXCLUSIVE: Maxi Araújo
⏩ Tottenham and Chelsea in contact
➡️ Source informs @UllalIBT
➡️ Further Premier League interest also presenthttps://t.co/K17lRpjlUG #thfc #cfc
— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) March 22, 2026