Aston Villa and Newcastle United joined by AC Milan in £25m transfer race

Strahinja Pavlovic is expected to leave Red Bull Salzburg this summer following an impressive season in the Bundesliga and successful individual form at UEFA EURO 2024 with Serbia.

The 23-year-old has been linked with a plethora of Premier League clubs, including Villa, Newcastle, Chelsea, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nottingham Forest and Fulham. All six English top-flight teams have been keeping tabs on the defender’s progress but the toughest competition may come from abroad.

The latest edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport includes a column on Pavlovic, suggesting AC Milan are interested and have made ground in an attempt to sign him. It’s claimed the centre-back has already agreed personal terms and given the green light for the transfer, so all that awaits is an agreement between the two clubs.

The likes of Villa and Newcastle must act very quickly if they are to sign Pavlovic, who played every minute in Germany including the full 1-0 defeat to England. He made 37 appearances for Salzburg last campaign, a slight increase from the season before as he featured 34 times throughout 2022/23.

Physical and dominant in the air, Pavlovic has already racked up 38 senior caps for Serbia and 28 appearances across the Champions League and Europa League. His experience in continental competitions is appreciated by Villa as they prepare to embark on their first Champions League campaign.

Unai Emery is unlikely to guarantee Pavlovic consistent league starts but minutes in Europe’s elite competition would likely be on offer, especially in the new league format. He could be a good rotation option in the Premier League, too, when fellow left-footed defenders Pau Torres and Tyrone Mings tire.