AC Milan are reportedly set to reach an agreement with RB Salzburg over the transfer of defender Strahinja Pavlovic imminently to bolster our defensive options.
The 23-year-old has established himself as a pivotal figure for club and country, having become a regular fixture at the back for both Salzburg and Serbia.
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According to Fabrizio Romano, via Matteo Moretto, the Rossoneri are set to reach an agreement to sign him imminently, while it was previously reported last week that we have already agreed on personal terms with the defensive ace.
It’s a timely swoop as we were reminded of our vulnerabilities and weaknesses at the back in our pre-season game against Manchester City this weekend, and although it was just a friendly, it highlighted some concerns in that department once again with Paulo Fonseca seemingly keen to address it.
Milan conceded 49 goals in 38 Serie A games last season, giving us the worst defensive record of the top 11 sides in the standings.
As well as trying to shore things up at the back, Pavlovic will also hopefully be a key signing for Fonseca in the process of helping him implement his preferred ideas and style of play, and so new signings are vital this summer to allow the Milan boss to mould this squad into his own.
While Milan have already secured the signature of Alvaro Morata to address one glaring issue this summer up front, the defence was arguably the next priority on the list, and it’s hoped that we can wrap up a swoop for Pavlovic soon, thus allowing us to move on to other potential transfer targets to continue to make this squad more competitive.
That said, it remains to be seen what his possible arrival means for others in defence, with Fonseca already having Fikayo Tomori, Malick Thiaw, Pierre Kalulu and Matteo Gabbia at his disposal. Time will tell if that will result in an exit to balance our spending and create space in the squad, or if Pavlovic is considered an addition rather than a replacement to raise the level within the group.
Update: Romano has since reported that a deal has now been agreed for Milan to sign Pavlovic, with the swoop said to be worth more than €18m.