Man Utd Hijack €50M Chelsea Move For “Aerial Monster” Target
Transfer news: Manchester United have put AC Milan centre-back Strahinja Pavlovic on their radar ahead of the summer 2026 window. However, Chelsea are currently the clear favourites to sign him, according to Italian transfer expert Daniele Longo via Get Italian Football News. The 24-year-old Serbian has hogged the headlines across the Premier League after a sensational 2025-26 Serie A season, where he managed four goals and an assist in 31 games playing on the left of Milan’s back three.
Transfer news: Manchester United enter the race for Strahinja Pavlovic as Chelsea lead chase of AC Milan’s standout defender
Milan have set a firm €50 million price tag and have no plans to let him go for cheap, especially since they’ve already lined up Lazio’s Mario Gila as a potential replacement. Chelsea’s interest has an added dimension as bringing in Pavlovic could pave the way for Benoit Badiashile to exit Stamford Bridge.
While Badiashile has previously been linked to Milan, the Rossoneri prefer a straight cash deal over any player swap. Pavlovic moved to Milan from RB Salzburg for €18 million in 2024 and, after a rocky start, has completely turned his form around this season. His stats back up the hype: he’s in the 83rd percentile for aerial duels, the 84th for clearances, and the 81st for blocked shots.
Transfer news: Does Manchester United’s interest in Pavlovic actually make sense given their priorities this summer?
To be honest, not really, at least not as a main target. Manchester United’s defence is already decent enough, while the real problems for the 2026-27 season are in midfield and attack, where they are still desperate for more goals and creativity. Spending €50 million on Pavlovic feels like a distraction from the areas that actually need fixing.
Transfer news: Plus, he still has the odd positional lapse, which shows up in his 67th percentile ranking for goals conceded. It suggests he’s still a work in progress. United’s interest looks more like they’re just keeping tabs on the market rather than preparing a serious bid, and INEOS will likely want to spend that money elsewhere. Chelsea, whose style of play and need for ball-playing defenders fits Pavlovic much better, are the ones who actually have a real reason to push for this deal.
Rohit Sarkar
